For Her
by Priestess Skye
Summary: The days of peace and prosperity come to an end the night an assassin slips into the lady’s room during a failed attempt. The West is now at war and Sesshoumaru must fight: not for the west, or for himself, or even for his honour. He’s fights for her. SK
1. Chapter 1

**For Her**

**By Priestess Skye**

**Edited by Yabou**

**Summary: The days of peace and prosperity come to an end the night an assassin slips into the lady's room during a failed attempt. The West is now at war and Sesshoumaru must fight for what's his: not for the west, or for himself, or even for his honour. He's fights for her, and for him.**

**NOTE: landofthekwt wrote a small side story to this story for my birthday so go check it out because it is flattering and fabulous! It's called an Empty Nest and can be found here : .net/s/4598347/1/Empty_Nest  
**

* * *

The hallways were damp from the night air and barely lit as most of the torches were extinguished for the evening. A chill had set in the castle, from the cool weather and the eerie silence. Servants were scattered across the dwelling, told to remain in their rooms as the guards kept an open eye on the perimeter outside.

The silence was deafening as they waited for the unexpected.

Their lord's orders were absolute. No one walks in, nobody walks out.

For those who had been serving in the castle for centuries, they could only remember him giving this order once before, the first night he came home with their lady and the cook had poisoned her evening repast. Most of them still shuddered at the public display their lord had made of him; slowly injecting his own _dokkaso_, he made him writhe in pain for hours on end as the poison ate him from the inside out, leaving nothing behind but a gooey mess. All the while his mate lay in their bed recovering from her near death.

Everybody watched, and everybody learned. Another attempt had not been made on her life since.

Until now.

They knew there was going to be bloodshed as soon as their lord prepared for war. Osamu had overstepped his bounds and the once easy alliance was broken the moment his assassin whispered his name, before falling to his own peril.

One did not harm Lord Sesshoumaru's mate and live to tell the tale.

While the Lord of the South had never been of the friendly sort, his mutual interests with Lord Sesshoumaru had solidified an agreement between the two, as both the lands were rich with resources. As strong as they were on their own, together, they were seen as unstoppable and prevented any and all who thought to relieve them of their power.

The introduction of a human into the foray threw a wrench in the agreement as a large part of the alliance was based on their shared disgust of the human species as a whole. The miko only weakened Lord Sesshoumaru's position in the eyes of Lord Osamu. It made him amenable to other humans who might think they could influence the young lord.

Of course, anyone who knew their lord knew this couldn't be further from the truth as Lord Sesshoumaru still had a very low tolerance for anybody who wasn't a youkai. Their lady wasn't a simple human, she was so much more, and her years at the stronghold had only solidified her position there, as many of the occupants became loyal to_ her_, not just loyal to the Taisho's mate.

There was many a soldier who would gladly give up their lives for hers because of a kind word or a simple gesture that had endeared her to them. Not many ladies would willingly spend all night next to a deathbed with the healer helping to cleanse the wounds of soldiers injured in battle.

For most ladies, it was beneath their position.

She not only considered it her duty, she considered it her privilege.

Tonight, it was their night to show their lady how much she meant to them. Tonight, every soldier and guard, whether on duty or off, was outside patrolling, fighting to keep her safe.

Floorboards creaked quietly in the darkness, the only indication that there was someone up and moving about inside the palace. A second creak soon followed as a woman covered in a dark cloak walked closely behind the first figure.

Hard, gold eyes scanned each hallway before leading the woman through them and, finally, toward his study. The great, enchanted bamboo doors opened as it read their auras, and closed behind them with a near silent click. It wouldn't let anybody else in for the rest of their night.

Without lighting a lamp, he gestured to the old, worn yellow bag filled with items he believed necessary for her journey. He sent her an apologetic look as he set the bag near the fireplace so she could grab it on her way out. Under typical circumstances, he would never burden her with such a menial object, especially given her delicate condition. But, tonight was not typical, nor would be the coming days.

She couldn't stay here though, he mused sadly. The entire stronghold was about to become a war zone, and she was the one person he wouldn't risk in this battle. Her life, and the life of their child, meant more to him than his birthright or his heritage. They meant more to him than his own life, which he would gladly give if it meant she would never have to face the dangers she had earlier.

There was nothing more they could do now than wait.

He pulled her close as he sat against the wall under a window. The moonlight just brushed the top of her ebony hair, seemingly making it glow in the darkness.

He could smell her tears, feel her body shaking against his as she felt reality sink in. She didn't make a sound, but she didn't need to for him to know her heart was breaking.

After all, his was breaking too.

"It's only temporary," he murmured into her hair as he nuzzled the top of her head. He had to let go of her soon enough. He wasn't going to let her go for the little time he had left with her.

"What about the baby?" she sniffed as she curled into him, closer.

One of his arms wrapped around her, to rest on her stomach. 'A few more weeks,' he had mused. He wished he had a few more weeks with her to watch her finish out her term and to watch his son come into the world. Releasing her stomach for a moment, he pulled a small crescent moon pendant from his _kosode. _ "Wear this, and I'll know. I'll be there as soon as I can get there. I promise you."

"How can you promise if you don't know what's going to happen?"

He sighed. "I don't know what will happen. I do know, though, that I would never let you go through this alone. If I'm not there during the event, I'll be there shortly after. I _will_ see my son," he said it with so much conviction that she couldn't help but believe him.

"Okay," she murmured as she wrapped both her arms around him. If he wasn't going to let her go before he had to, she was going to do the same, and she would relish the peace she felt in his arms at this moment. It would be a long time before she would feel this way again, she knew. "Will I know where you are?" she asked.

"No. The only way to do that would be to send a message. I don't want the message intercepted or the messenger to prove untrustworthy. I will not risk either of you."

The tears in her eyes started to spill over in earnest. One hundred years with him and she had not left his side for more than three days. Now they were to be separated for what could be years. She knew the strength of Osamu's army, just as she knew the strength of her own.

This would not be an easy battle.

"I'll see you again," he kept whispering to her. "Believe we will win, and the moment we do I'll have you back here and I'll never separate from you again."

He needed to be strong for her, though it was tearing him apart.

"When will he be here?" she asked.

"Just before first light. I want to get you out of here under the cover of darkness. I don't want any of Osamu's spies to know you have left here until you are long gone and undetectable. You have the ring I gave you?"

She lifted her hand to show him the simple silver band. There was something about him and enchanted jewelry, she mused. She had always thought it was something out of a book, a fantasy, until she had met him.

"Keep that on, and they shouldn't detect my scent on you. They don't know you well enough to know what you'd naturally smell like."

"I'll keep it on because it's from you," she told him, as she smiled. "Same with the pendant. Even after our daughter is born," she teased, debating the sex of their unborn child as they usually did.

"If you weren't pregnant with _our son_, I'd consider keeping you here with me. I'd be able to protect you."

She smiled lightly. "I know you could, but this started because of the baby and I couldn't bear it if something happened to you because you were too busy looking after the two of us and not yourself."

"Hn."

They sat huddled together in the darkness, enjoying the silence, even though it was with some trepidation. The silence was not the natural silence they shared together each night, but if it were a choice between sharing it now, or not at all, they were going to take what they could.

She would be leaving soon, she thought sadly. If she weren't human, if she weren't miko, maybe this could have been avoided, but she couldn't deny her heritage, and truth was, she wouldn't even if she could. She knew that her mate felt the same way.

Her humanity was one of the things he loved most about it, as he told her time and time again.

"It's time," she felt Sesshoumaru nudge her before standing the two of them up. His arms remained tight around her stomach because he wanted to maintain contact with her until the very last minute.

"Where am I going?" she finally asked him after hours of speculation.

"To safety," he nodded as someone stepped into the room near the fireplace.

If the familiar red cloth of the fire rat wasn't familiar enough, the silver hair that accompanied it was a dead give away. "Inuyasha." She wanted to run to him, wrap her arms around him in greeting as she hadn't spoken with him since before the mating.

But she stood next to Sesshoumaru, knowing there would time to catch up with his brother later.

She turned inquiring eyes to her mate, knowing the relationship between the two was still incredibly strained after all these years, a large part of it due to her.

"He's the only one I trust to protect you with his life," her mate explained to her, pain evident in his eyes. It was killing him to send her off with his brother.

She nodded in understanding before turning to face him. "I'll miss you."

He didn't reply to this as she knew he would miss her as well. Terribly.

But it was for the best. Or so he kept telling himself. "I'll be there when our son is born," he reiterated.

"I'm holding you to that."

He released her after a moment, knowing they had to leave now if they wanted to be well away before dawn broke. Turning to his brother, he handed him the yellow backpack. "I will find you, don't send any messages to me," he said, although the look he sent him said much more.

'Unless it's a matter of life or death.'

Inuyasha nodded, having heard the unspoken message. "Come on Kagome," he held out his hand for her.

Turning back to her mate, she jumped into his arms one last time, tears pouring down her face despite trying to prove to herself that she could be strong about this. "Don't take too long to kick his ass, okay?"

He chuckled, a rare sound she relished and loved. "I'll do my best."

And for the last time in the foreseeable future, he pressed his lips to hers in desperation, taking both their breaths away until Inuyasha interrupted them.

"Yo, asshole, if you want her out of here safely, we need to leave now."

He looked down into his mate's eyes, one final time. "Go," he whispered, his mouth hovering just over hers. "Go, and live for me."

"You live for me too," she replied before running to Inuyasha and not looking back, knowing that once she did she would crumble and break.

AN New story, yay! Will be filled with lots of angst, just a warning. I have ten chapters written already, so there are plenty in the bank and this will be updated once a week.

A big thanks to a few people. First to shon7 who gave me the premise for the idea. It sort of evolved from the original idea, but I fell in love with it the moment I heard it, and it just took right off. And to Yabou for being a wonderful cheerleader. She was wonderful to bounce ideas off "would it be mean and evil if I…"

So I hope you enjoy the story, it has been a hoot to write so far, and please drop me a line to let me know what you think or if you think I'm just off my rocker :)

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However the characters of Satoru, Cho and Osamu are mine.


	2. Chapter 2

_The palace was in a state of chaos as the alarms were sounded._

_Bells ringing everywhere, signaling an attack._

_And above all the noise, she could hear her mate roar. _

_She lay on her back on the bedroom floor, panting from the exertion she exhibited only moments ago, the fire youkai circling around her. Every muscle in her body ached as she struggled to maintain the small barrier. But every time he would strike it would grow weaker. _

'_Sesshoumaru,' she pleaded, hoping with every second that would pass he would show up. The barrier wouldn't hold much longer, and although she could make it stronger, she had to be cautious about the amount of reiki she used. _

_A miko carrying a hanyou child was unheard of and she didn't know how her powers would affect the pregnancy. She didn't want to purify her son before he was born. Oh yes, she knew it was a boy, she could feel it deep within her, but she enjoyed raising her mate's ire by being contradictory._

"_What do you want?" she challenged the fire youkai. She was lady of the household. Nobody challenged her without repercussions._

"_I don't want anything, I'm only following orders," the youkai shot back as he launched another attack on the weakening barrier._

_She screamed in agony as she felt the heat from the flame seep through._

'_Sesshoumaru, where are you?'_

"_That's right, scream bitch," his red eyes bore deep into hers as he intensified the attack, flames surrounding the barrier on all sides, parts of the barrier burning away. _

"_Who sent you?" she screamed as one flame licked her arm, burning it. The last of her power waning due to the pain._

"_Never you mind who sent me. It doesn't matter. What matters is I'll be rewarded handsomely for your death," he grinned as he intensified the flames yet again. _

'_He's not coming,' was her last thought as the barrier fell and the flames closed in on her._

_Her skin began to heat instantly, burning and blistering, as she screamed. _

_My baby…"_

"My baby," she gasped as her eyes flew open, hands grabbing her abdomen as the pain continued to course through her. "Inuyasha!" she called as the last of the pain faded away for the moment. She knew it wouldn't be long before she would be over come again.

"Kagome," Inuyasha broke through the door to her room, Tessaiga firmly in his hands as his eyes scanned the room. He had heard her calling out in her sleep, assuming she was having a nightmare again, he had dismissed it. Seeing her clutching her abdomen though, he relaxed his grip, though his eyes were no less frantic. "It's time?"

She nodded as another contraction swept through her body, this one more intense than the first. "I want Sesshoumaru," she whined as she moved one hand to grip the coverlet on the bed.

"Don't worry, he'll be here, he promised," he tried to soothe her before leaving the room. He wasn't going very far. She knew he would never leave her to face an ordeal such as this alone. It was too soon, she thought, too soon. Sesshoumaru wouldn't be expecting his son this early. 'He may not show up,' the thought dawned on her.

"Keh," Inuyasha stood, leaning against the doorway looking in as his mate came in with numerous supplies. "He'd kick your ass if he ever found out about your lack of faith in him."

"It's not a lack of faith," she gritted her teeth. "I'll always have faith in him. It's the whole situation that I don't like. I should be doing this at home, which him at my side for 110 of this. He would be here, holding my hand," she grimaced. "Well maybe, if I can keep him calm long enough. He might try to kill the midwife instead for not being able to ease the pain."

Inuyasha chuckled before taking a seat next to her on the bed. "Let Cho do her thing. She's good at this, after all, she's been through it eight times. I promise you everything will turn out fine. Your son will be born in good health." He took her hand. "He has to be born in good health, the asshole will kick my ass if anything ever happened to his heir."

She looked down at the pendent sitting on her breast. It didn't feel different, or look any different, so how did it work? Was it just like the ring and worked its magic without being obvious? Would he somehow sense that she needed him right now?

Or what if he was injured? Osamu was a demon who shouldn't be trifled with as he has been known to fight dirty. She felt very afraid for her mate sometimes. Three weeks without him and she was already falling apart at the seams. How was he handling the separation? Some deep, selfish part of her wished he wasn't handling it well at all, that he would feel the need to end the war and come home.

But the larger sensible side knew this wouldn't be possible. Osamu had threatened her, had issued an order for an attempt on her life. Her mate would not stop until Osamu was destroyed. It didn't matter that he kept Tenseiga at his side at all times, or that he could have revived her if need be. But the attempt on her life was an insult to him. Unfortunately it was an insult with grave consequences. Sesshoumaru never did anything halfway.

She screamed as another intense contraction set in. It seemed that his son had inherited the same trait, she thought as she grabbed Inuyasha's hand, knowing she could squeeze it as hard as she'd like and he wouldn't bat an eye. She doubted he'd even feel it with his hanyou strength.

Cho's green eyes shifted toward her husband's, silently telling him he should leave. A man should never be in the woman's birthing chamber, especially since he wasn't the child's father.

He shook his head and waited until the contraction subsided, before pulling her outside of the room. One quick scan around the room and he knew Kagome would be okay for the time being.

"You shouldn't be there," she murmured so the woman just on the otherside of the door wouldn't hear.

"I can't leave her," he whispered back.

Cho's green eyes flashed wildly as she recalled the nature of her husband's relationship with the woman so many years ago. Until the past several weeks, she had felt secure in her marriage with him. He was attentive, in his own way. His wildness was part of the reason she fell in love with him in the beginning. He could seem insensitive and uncaring, but she knew otherwise. Underneath the burly, tough exterior was a man with a heart as golden as his eyes. It suited her well as she didn't like sharing the man she knew. "It's because it's her, isn't it?" she accused.

He sighed. "Yes, but not in the way you think." He glanced back in the room to see Kagome fingering the pendent around her neck. He sympathized with her, knowing how alone she probably felt at that moment with her mate away while she was about to give birth. It was uncharted territory for her. "She is my brother's mate, and she will always be that first and foremost in my mind. It was her choice to leave me and go to him, and I probably deserved it at the time. I didn't treat her as I should have." Looking back at his mate, he continued to speak. "I cared for her once, deeply. If things had been different, yes, she may have turned to me instead of him. But things aren't different and I have accepted that."

"It doesn't mean you need to be in there with her," she grabbed his hand, imploring him to leave. He didn't stay in the room when she gave birth to their own children, she didn't want him to stay with this female she barely knew.

"It does. She's with him because somewhere along the lines, I failed. I can't fail in this, I need to make up for it. I will protect both her and the child until Sesshoumaru can return to name him. I will not let anything happen to either of them. " Squeezing her hand in his, he continued. "You know I couldn't have been in there with you. Seeing you in that much pain would have snapped something in me, I'd have lashed out at the midwife, killed her for putting you through that. Youkai can't see their mates in pain. And that's what you are to me, my wife, my mate. Not Kagome. When Sesshoumaru is here, then I'll stay out of the room, as I'll be the only one who will be able to keep him out and won't risk him striking out at you. Until then I need to be there with her. I am the most familiar person to her right now. Otherwise she's all alone."

He didn't wait for her to give him an answer before turning back into the room toward his friend. He knew the answer she would have given him, saw it on her face. She would let him stay because it was what he wanted, and she loved him enough to give him what she wanted, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Sweaty, hot, tired, she lay in bed unable to move as the pain consumed her. Twenty-three hours, she had noted. She was ready to give up and she could see the growing concern in Cho's eyes. Youkai birth, it shouldn't take this long, and it was a constant battle to keep her miko powers from flaring up. She wasn't going through hell and back just to purify her son as she was about to give birth to him. The pregnancy had been especially hard as her body fought to accommodate the offspring of another species, something that should have been scientifically impossible, but yet it happened to so many people.

Cho was the prime example of a human who was able to carry children belonging to a hanyou – somebody who was neither human nor demon. Eight children, she counted, all having grown up and taken mates of their own, the diluted youkai in their blood giving them the longevity they needed to live full lives. They wouldn't live nearly as long as Inuyasha, or his mate, and she was saddened by this. She wasn't sure how either of them would take their passing, knowing they would still be reasonably young while their children passed on from old age.

And yet, she would be facing the same situation one day as her mate was nearly immortal, and their son would not be. Shaking her head, she banished those thoughts. Her son needed to be born before she could even contemplate such a thing.

"Okay Kagome," Cho situated herself between her legs as she felt Inuyasha grab her hand again. The bitterness of the past didn't interfere with who they were today, and she was thankful he could remain by her side right now. "You should be ready to push. I could see the head trying to make its way through."

She grimaced as she tried to push, clutching Inuyasha's hand with all her might. Twenty-three hours, she was ready to give birth. "He's not here," she sobbed as she pushed with everything she had. "He's not here, but I can't wait any longer."

The pain blinded her and how she wished at that moment she was able to travel through the well to her time, where they had pain medication for an event like this. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she'd be doing it naturally. "Keep pushing," Cho urged her own, her hands ready to guide the child through into the moral realm. She wanted to give up, she wanted to stop and just go to sleep and wake up when Sesshoumaru was done with his war. She wanted him to be here holding her hand, not Inuyasha.

He had promised, was her last thought as she heard the shrill sound of a baby's cry.

He broke his promise.

* * *

The flames disappeared as she felt herself being jostled awake. She gasped in shock, both from the instant wake up call, the severity of the dream, and the pain that accompanied her with every movement. Her hands instantly flew to her abdomen, until she realized it was flat. 'That's right, the baby. I had my baby,' she realized, still disoriented from the dream.

"Kagome?"

She knew his voice, and no amount of separation could ever make her forget about it. Her vision cleared as she looked up at her white knight, forming her first true smile in several weeks. "Our son," she murmured as she reached for him, wanting to touch him and prove to herself that he was real, not a figment of her imagination, or her head playing tricks on her.

He looked tired she noted. Much more so than usual when he had to deal with matters of state. The gold in his eyes had lost some of their vibrancy, although she was sure they were a bit more vibrant than usual upon seeing her. God knows seeing him now made her feel more alive than she had felt over the past three weeks. "You look like shit," she noticed.

He smirked as he gently pushed her to the side of the futon and sat next to her, gathering her in his arms. Three weeks, he mused, was entirely too long to be without his mate. The entire time he felt like a vital part of himself was missing. "I see Inuyasha is rubbing off on you. Don't let him have the same influence on our son."

Her eyes widened as she scanned the room, looking for the newborn. "Relax," Sesshoumaru murmured. "He was fussing earlier so Cho was taking care of him," he turned to the shoji as he heard it slide open. "See, there he is now." She watched with wide eyes as the auburn-haired woman placed the infant in her arms. She heard the shoji shut behind her as she left, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her boy.

"This is the first time I've seen him," she murmured. "I passed out shortly after. He's perfect." She ran her hand through the soft, downy hair. "It's almost pewter, isn't it?"

"Best of both worlds," he agreed. "He's probably hungry."

She smacked him lightly before looking back down at their son. "You just want to see my boobs," she joked lightly, before opening up her yukata. Wincing, she lifted him slightly to ease the pain his grip on her nipple caused. "This doesn't tickle."

After a hundred years, her little comments that indicated she was from another time did little to phase him. They were one of the many quirks he loved about her. "I apologize," he whispered, not wanting to ruin the sanctity of the moment while he watched his son feed.

"For what? It's not your fault he's got jaws of steel."

"No, for not being here as I promised. In order to properly declare war on Osamu, I had to formally break the alliance. Unfortunately there were procedures to follow." He fingered the pendent around her neck. "When I realized what was going on, there were too many from the enemy side who were too close to me. It took me longer than I had hoped to lose them on my way here. I don't want anybody to know where you are. You're both still in danger."

She nodded, understanding his reasons and berating her selfishness from earlier. She should have known better. "You're here now. I haven't named him yet. That's your right, as his father."

He snorted. "It's my right as he's my heir." He looked at her somberly. "He's going to be in more danger than you are as he's now a reality. The west will know they have their heir, and Osamu won't rest until he finds him and kills him. I can't stay long or they will extend their search as I'm sure he realizes why I'm gone."

"Stay for the day?" she asked, not wanting to let him go just yet?

"Until nightfall." He pulled her closer and lay his cheek on her head, breathing the scent of her in deep. He missed it, he missed this. "The entire way here I gave some thought as to what to name him, as nothing seemed right. His name should be important, should mean something. It dawned on me as I looked back on the situation." He adjusted the blanket around her, covering all but the child's head, before calling his brother and his mate into the room.

The witnesses, she realized. He was about to formally name his son.

"Satoru," he spoke authoritatively, as he placed his hand on their son's forehead, before the others left the room again to give them their privacy.

"Satoru," she repeated. "Enlightened."

"He will be enlightened," he confirmed. "You'll teach him patience, and the ways of your time, as well as the ways of ours. You'll teach him tolerance of all species, youkai, hanyou, human. The west, and the rest of Japan will thrive under his leadership one day because of this."

"Okay," she lifted the infant and switched sides, wincing again as he greedily latched onto other breast. She looked down at him and brushed some of the hair away from his face. "Satoru."

AN

Giving you a treat, a mid-week post because writing is going so well. I am currently working on Chapter 13 and it'll either be 13/13 or 13/14, so the story is pretty much nearly done. And I'm telling you now, it'll be one hell of a wild ride, but it's so much fun to write…fun for me, but then I thrive on writing angst sometimes :)

A big thank you to all of my reviewers. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. serasvictoria666, Britt-sempai (lol, you'll enjoy this one as it's pretty much two stories about them rolled into one, so you'll get to see the best of both worlds), Togu, minny92, LadySafire, Yabou (ah but you know just how evil I will get), karyn, kagomefan5

A Single Spark: Jean, ElegantPaws (lol, unlike some people, I post when I saw I will…or in this case, early!), Arielle, jen, miki-chan and Pandora-of-the-south, Rainstorm61879 (if you think I'm evil now, just you wait), inuyashaloverr

See ya this weekend, yes, I'll still give you a weekend post!

Disclaimer: See Chap 1


	3. Chapter 3

"Mama."

She looked up from her papers to see bright, golden eyes looking into hers. 'So much like his father's,' she mused. She never tired of looking in them. He really was the best of both worlds, as his father had described those many years ago. She nodded at him, giving him permission to speak as Inuyasha had taught her when Satoru first began to speak.

_You can give him free reign to a point. He is the heir, he needs to follow certain protocols_.

It had upset her at first to limit her son in so many areas, but logic had won out. If her son were to speak out of turn, he could upset another lord, or offend a lady, or even cause another war. Given that his father was still at war with the south, she never wanted to see another one.

"I picked these for you." He held up a bouquet of wildflowers that looked like they were hastily gathered. It gave her pause for thought, before she narrowed her eyes at him. While his eyes were bright, she could see the guilt behind them, and the way he shuffled his foot and dug it into the dirt.

He was guilty of something. Her son, ever the mastermind, rarely ever did anything without thinking it through and having a reason. He was very much his father's son in that way. "What did you do?" she asked him, raising a brow.

His eyes lowered to the ground, before sliding in the direction of the house, but he didn't open his mouth. Once he said the words, it would make the act true, not just something she heard from the grapevine. Another trait he had picked up from his father, although she wasn't sure how.

Sighing, she stood up moved toward the house, looking back at him to ensure he would follow her. _Give him an inch, he'll take a mile,_ she mused. She wanted nothing more than to scoop him up in her arms and hug him to her. Moments like these she missed his father the most, and wished he was around to see their son grow up.

And it saddened her as everything that was his father's right to teach him, was being taught by Inuyasha. "If you don't tell me before we walk into the house, your Uncle Inu will tell me. And you know he doesn't mince words."

Satoru remained silent. Where was her personality in him? She used to sass her parents all time when she was his age, and while she wouldn't appreciate the sass, she wished he would say something, anything to hint at what had happened.

"Kagome." Inuyasha was walking out of the house toward her. "How are his hands?"

"Hands?" she stopped in her tracks and whirled on her son, grabbing both his hands in hers for close inspection. They were smooth and flawless, if not a bit dirty from picking the flowers. "They're fine, why?"

"Your brat thought it would be fun to try and play with Tessaiga for the afternoon, without asking me and got himself burned."

She looked sharply at Satoru, and noticed his eyes cast further downwards. _Just_ like his father. "You know better than to take what's not yours without permission," she scolded.

"Uncle Inu would have said no."

"That's right, he would have. But it would have been for a very good reason. You got hurt, didn't you?"

He nodded, eyes still downcast.

"That's why he would have said no. Go see your Aunt Cho. I'm sure she has some chores she can put you to work on." She watched the child gripe and grumble before moving to the back of the house. Now there's where her personality shined, she noted. She could remember always arguing against doing chores, even though the chores had helped her become self-reliant.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," she gestured to his sword. "I don't know what came over him. He's usually very good about not touching what doesn't belong to him."

He walked her back to the tree were her papers lay strewn about, and sat next to her. It wasn't all that long ago, in his mind anyway, when they had done nothing but fight and bicker. At the time he didn't think much about it, but looking back he could see it had a profound effect on their relationship.

After she left, she never looked back.

And while that had hurt him, it had also opened his eyes. The little comments, the biting remarks, he could see why she would turn to his brother, who had always treated her with a modicum of respect.

"Keh, everybody wants Tessaiga, I'm used to it." He looked at her out of the side of his eye. "Besides, he's at an age he wants to learn from his father. He watches me train every morning, before you're out of bed. He knows this is what his father is off doing and he wants to do it too."

"He's too young to learn how to use a sword."

"No," he countered. "This is probably a good age to start. There will be more retention, and he can only improve faster as he'll know the basics at a young age. Not to mention the threatening cloud that is always hanging over both your heads. A little defensive know-how wouldn't hurt."

She sighed and knew he was right. She could only protect him herself for so long before he'd have to start relying on his own skills. He was a hanyou, but more importantly he was Sesshoumaru's son, the grand son of the Inu no Taisho, it was in his blood to know how to fight. "I wanted Sesshoumaru to teach him." She closed her eyes and lay her head back on the tree.

Inuyasha continued to watch her. "You really love him, don't you? And I don't mean like you loved me back in the day, but you honestly love him," he stated with wonderment.

"I do. I'm not usually so whiny about it, but five years is a long time to go without seeing your mate." She shrugged her shoulders. "He's my everything."

"You know, before you left us for him, I never understood that. I never understood how you could fall in love with a bastard like him. I hated you for it. For a time, I truly hated you."

"I know. I could see it in your eyes, and it broke my heart." She reached over and held his hand in between hers. "I never meant to hurt you, Inuyasha. It was the last thing I wanted to do. But our time was over. You had proved to me time and time again that I meant nothing to you. It was only natural that I drift away."

"You never meant nothing to me. You were my best friend." The words were simple, easy to say now that they meant nothing to either of them. She had her mate, was the lady of the West, and a good one, he knew, as he followed her movements over the years. He had Cho, a woman he would never have met if Kagome hadn't gone her own way. He couldn't regret his harsh words now. Not when they had led him to a very fulfilling life.

But there were days he still missed his best friend. No matter how easy it was to reconnect with her these past few years, she still held something back from him. It wasn't the way it used to be.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he saw her writing on her papers again.

"Writing a letter to Sesshoumaru. I can't speak to him, and he's not here to watch his son grow up. When we can be together again, I intend to give him the letters. They detail everyday of Satoru's life. Some days it's only a few lines, others a whole page, and others still, pages." She smiled sadly at that thought. Those were the days she'd become anxious about his return, worried if he was okay, or feared he was injured. She knew he was still out there somewhere, else Jaken would have sent her a message. He was the only one who knew how to get a hold of her, he was the only one Sesshoumaru trusted with this information. He would sooner die than dishonour his lord by giving away her location. "Even if it takes him years to read it, I want him to feel a part of Satoru's life, even if it's just from afar."

"Five years is a long time for him to read up, Kagome," he mentioned, gently. "I'm sure he feels like he's a part of Satoru's life right now. He's not fighting this war for the west, for himself, or even for his honour. He's fighting it for you, and for him."

"I know, but there's so much he's missing out on. He didn't get to hear his first word, or see his first step. He wasn't there when Satoru first said chichi-ue and asked about him. I just keep thinking that if I had to be sent away from Satoru for years, I'd want to know these things, even if I weren't there to see them myself."

He watched as she shuffled the papers together and stood up, before she looked down on him. "I know it's Sesshoumaru's right to start training Satoru, both as his father and his lord, but seeing as he's not here, if you want to start on it yourself, I won't object. He already looks up to you as a father-like figure."

"Geez Kagome," she could swear she saw him blush for a moment. "Whatever you do, don't ever tell Sesshoumaru you said that about me. He'll kick my ass. But yeah, if the kid wants to learn, I'll teach him." He glared at her. "But you have to promise me one thing. He's hanyou, which means he's not fragile. I don't want you interfering if you think I'm too rough on the kid. I know his limitations. I was that age once."

* * *

_The alliance between the two tachi was supposed to an easy one. Both brothers would recognize each other's strengths and play on them, and Rin and Shippo would both have a companion their age. While much of Miroku's philosophical genius was wasted on the original group, he could find an equal in Lord Sesshoumaru. In short, when she had solidified the alliance through a blood ceremony between the two brothers, she expected it to work._

_How naïve she was, she realized now. Things were never so simple, so cut and dry in the feudal era, and it was a lesson she should have learned long ago. But she didn't want to give up hope that it could work. Working together a few years back to destroy So'ounga was the perfect example of what their combined power could do._

_Yet…_

_Rin and Shippo hated each other on site, which was extremely strange for Shippo as he usually had no problems with the fairer sex. And Rin, despite spending the better part of her life around youkai, immediately became distrusting of Shippo. When she had asked her why, the only answer she received was that fox were too close to wolves. _

_And Sesshoumaru, she found, believed Miroku to be worth no more of his time and effort than the dirt on the bottom of his shoe, which she guessed wasn't all that surprising. But she had hoped._

_Several times in the first few weeks the alliance had nearly come to an end as Inuyasha would mouth off to his brother, or his brother would take exception to something and begin battle. It was a never ending cycle, and for all of a moment, she herself thought ending the alliance might be a better choice. _

_Watching the two of them hack and slash at each other constantly had finally gotten her ire up. If they wanted to kill each other, fine, they were more than welcome to do so as she grabbed her bag and stalked off to the nearest hot spring. It didn't take very long for the tears to come as she ran from the clearing, missing two sets of golden eyes following her intently._

"_Ow," she cried out as she tripped over a protruding root, scraping her hands and knees as she fell to the ground. Giving up, she just lay back and let the tears come out, knowing that the only way to calm down was to release the stress built up within her. _

"_Miko."_

_After a few minutes of sobbing, she looked up to see the demon lord standing above her, looking decidedly bored. Of all the people who could stumble upon her and see her in this state, he was the last one she wanted to see. "Come to mock me?" she asked bitterly as she sat herself up. She didn't bother to stand. If he couldn't bother to treat her group with respect, why should she give him the same courtesy?_

"_Hardly. Are you so weak that a slight fall could you make you cry?"_

"_Sure. Whatever. Believe what you want. If you want to think I'm crying because I fell, go for it."_

_The golden gaze on her hardened as he tried to decipher her words. "You will tell me the truth."_

_Laughing hysterically now, she decided to honour his request. "Truth? All right. I happen to think both you and Inuyasha are idiots. Both of you have all this power and strength at your disposal and yet you choose to fight each other and not your common enemy. Who am I to stop you? You fought better together when you were apart."_

"_You are upset because we fight?" he clarified._

"_No, I am upset because you fight foolishly. I could care less if the two of you were sparring, but you're not. There's no way we can succeed against Naraku if we don't work as a team. And for the record that is not the reason I'm crying. I cry because my body has no other outlet at the moment for the stress the two of you are causing!"_

_He remained silent as he considered her words, recognized the logic in them. "Is this alliance really important to you?" he finally asked her._

"_Of course it's important. We need your strength to defeat Naraku, and you need us, even though you don't want to admit it. I, alone, have the ability to bring you to him now that he has all of the jewel shards," she wrinkled her nose slightly. "Or at least help point us in the right direction. Everybody has a role in this quest, and everybody has a stake in it. He stole Kikyou from Inuyasha, Miroku needs to destroy Naraku to put an end to the curse affecting his family. Naraku turned Sango's brother onto his village people and had him murder them all, including their father. Shippo lost his parents to two power hungry youkai, who ended up wanting shards in the end. You, you're fighting for your honour, just like I am._

"_Honour?"_

"_Yes, honour. The jewel was my responsibility and I failed to protect it. Then because of my own inadequacies, I broke the jewel into a thousand pieces. I am honour bound to put it back together again and wish it out of existence."_

"_I wasn't aware humans believed in honour, or possessed it," he seemed to have been speaking to himself, but she knew in that moment she had won him over to her side. _

"_Some don't, I won't lie to you. But some of us do, and it's very important to us."_

"_Hn."_

* * *

Her eyes opened as she felt a terrible weight fall upon her in the bed, too heavy to be Satoru. Her reiki flared to the surface as it didn't recognize the threat.

"Don't," she heard it murmur and she immediately stilled.

"Sesshoumaru?" Running her hands over the body on top of her she couldn't help but panic at the moisture coating his skin.

Blood.

"Inuyasha!"

AN

Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians celebrating either today or tomorrow! And just so you know, this story is complete, all 13 chapters! (went on a writing spree last week lol) so you'll definitely not be left hanging in the dust forever with it.

Disclaimer: see chap one


	4. Chapter 4

The past twenty-four hours had wreaked havoc on her nerves and emotions. Earlier her son had stood before her bed, staring in awe at his father, the one he hadn't seen since his birth. Only now his father wasn't conscious, and at times his breathing was so swallow she feared for his life. The first several hours after he collapsed on her she spent bathing him, and tending to him. Inuyasha had managed to lift him off her and set him on her bed, where he's stayed since.

The blood, she thought as she shuddered, wasn't something to be taken lightly. If he had come here injured like he was, then it was serious. Extremely serious.

The blood wasn't the worst part of it though, it was the poison. Being a poison youkai himself he was immune to most toxins, especially if they come from a weaker youkai. But somewhere a poison entered his system and was making him sick.

Hour after hour she would sit and wipe the sweat off his brow with a cold cloth, and have Inuyasha run to the river for fresh buckets of cool water to help reduce the heat. Or she would wrap blankets around him as he suffered through the chills, his lips turning blue many times over.

For the first time in her life, she was truly afraid she'd lose him. But she continued to speak to him, remind him of the good times, tell him to fight, for her, for her son, for himself. He was going to beat the poison if she had anything to do with it.

"Kagome?" she turned to the doorway to see Cho walking in carrying two bowls of broth. "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she replied as she took one of the bowls and brought a spoon to her mate's mouth. Nourishment, she thought. It would help build the strength back up in his body, which in turn would fight the toxin.

"You need to eat. Satoru is scared for his mama because she hasn't slept, and she hasn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon." She set the bowl on the table next to her. "He already has to deal with one sick parent, don't force him to deal with a second."

She nodded her compliance as she brought the spoon to Sesshoumaru's slightly parted mouth again. "Where is he?"

"He's with Inuyasha bringing you more water. It's getting close to time to change his bandages, and he wants to be there to help you."

Kagome sighed, dropping her head on the side of the bed. "He shouldn't have to see him like this. Satoru was supposed to meet him when he was strong, virile, indestructible."

"Have you looked at him, Kagome?" Cho placed her hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter that he's lying here, unconscious, covered in bandages and suffering from a fever, or the chills, Satoru already believes his father is a hero. Earlier when Inuyasha and I had taken Satoru outside so you could clean the wounds, he looked at the two of us, eyes both wide and very somber and said his father was the strongest man he knew. After all, what other demon could get hurt like he did in a big, important war, and make it all the way over here, and still be alive. I don't think he's going to suffer any for this."

A tear began to fall from Kagome's eyes at her son's words. Pride welled up inside. He was right. Sesshoumaru was the strongest demon she knew if he were able to do all that. "He can help change the bandages. I think it'll make him feel more useful."

"He's grown up a lot in the past twenty-four hours. It makes me wonder if he was always like that, and we just hadn't seen it." She gestured to the bowl of broth. "Finish feeding him, and yourself, and I'll send Satoru in. Inuyasha can keep him occupied until then."

"Thank you, Cho. I know keeping him here can be problematic, and it will most certainly attract all kinds of danger, but thank you all the same. I _need_ him here."

"You know, it's a funny thing. Trouble used to follow Inuyasha around everywhere. Everybody wanted to come and defeat the hanyou that defeated Naraku. But once we settled here, it all seemed to have stayed away. It's almost like he left his mark around the area that said 'youkai beware'."

"Like a dog peeing on the trees around the perimeter," Kagome giggled, thankful for the laugh she needed. She turned back to her mate and offered him more of the broth as Cho closed the shoji door behind her.

* * *

_A rock skipped across the water, three, four, five times before it stopped and settled toward the bottom. A most curious thing, he noted, to see a rock skim the surface of the water several times before sinking. It was almost as if the rock was flying. From the distance he saw the miko pick up a second rock, and do much the same thing, only this time it only skimmed the water three times. He couldn't feel the rise of her reiki to indicate she was using it to cause such witchcraft, so what was it?_

_Over the past few months of their alliance, he had noted several strange habits of hers, such as reading, and writing, both activities meant for those noble in blood. Very few common folk knew how to do either, and yet she did both with ease. She didn't look like she was born of noble blood, she certainly didn't dress of noble blood, and yet, she did things that would make anybody think twice about her._

_And then there were the numerous acts of kindness, which included tending the wounds of others, an act typically left for those who were considered lower class. She cleansed wounds with no hesitation, and no regard as to who she was working on. It didn't matter if it were enemy or friend, she would help if she could._

_Her clothing was something else all together. Jeans, she called them, the tight blue pants that seemed to cling to every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination, or the black 'tank top'. She may as well be walking around wearing nothing. It was neither the clothing of the rich, nor the commoner. So where did she come from and how did she manage to bewitch him like this?_

"_Miko," he stepped out of the darkness and moved toward her, intent on finding his answer. "What kind of witchcraft is this?"_

"_Witchcraft?" she raised her brow, seemingly perplexed. But then he knew better. She was playing coy and innocent so she could keep her secret to herself. _

"_Yes, witchcraft, the way you are able to make rocks fly across the water."_

"_Rocks fly across the water," she looked puzzled for all of one minute before he saw recognition dawn on her face. "It's not witchcraft, it's a simple trick, basic science. Every young child where I come from learns how to do this."_

"_Every child?" he asked doubtfully._

"_Well, maybe most. I'm sure there are a few out there who don't know how to do it, but it's pretty much common knowledge. I use it as a way to pass the time when I'm thinking. I don't even know I'm doing it half the time until I realize I'm out of rocks. It's something I'm sure even you can pick up."_

_He gazed at her before gesturing to the pile of rocks at her feet. "You will teach this Sesshoumaru your trick."_

_Smiling, unsure what to make of the whole scenario, she reached down to her foot and picked up two more rocks, to her liking. "All right," she checked the smoothness of each rock before handing one to him. "You need to find a smooth, flat rock. A jagged rock won't do as it won't skip. Typically the smoother, and flatter, the better. But you also want to make sure it's not too heavy, or it will sink on the first try."_

_Testing the weight in his hand, he wasn't sure if it was considered too heavy or not. Trusting the miko's judgment, he let her continue. _

"_Basically, it's just a matter of velocity, speed," she clarified. "The faster and harder you throw it, the better chance it has of skipping. Here, watch me and do as I do. Pay close attention to my arm movement."_

_He watched closely as she brought her arm in closer to her before flinging it outward again, letting go of the rock as she did so. Three, four five, he counted before it sank to the depths of the lake again. Without a word he mimicked her and let the rock go, losing track of how many times it skipped across the water._

"_Wow," she stared at him with wide eyes. "Seven is my record and even that is hard to come by. Your rock disappeared over the horizon before it sank and I could finish counting."_

_He looked out at the lake a moment longer before turning back to her. "You spend your time doing this?"_

_She nodded before picking up another stone._

"_Foolishness." He didn't spare her a second glance as he walked away._

* * *

Unbidden, the memory came to him as he tossed and turned in his fever-induced sleep. The heat. The heat was the only he could feel, with the exception of her cool hand at times.

How he missed that hand.

"Carefully take the cloth and wipe that area," he heard her speak, but he didn't know to who. "Don't place too much pressure on it as you don't want to open the wound again, or cause him undue pain."

Wound? Pain?

He struggled to try and open his eyes, fighting what felt like rocks sitting on the eyelids.

Five years.

He needed to see her.

Unsuccessful, he let sleep overtake him again.

* * *

"_Why do you do this?" he asked as he watched her carry yet another bucket of heavy water to camp, her hands chafed from the rough, corded handle. _

"_Because he's my friend," she smiled at him, though the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. It disturbed him, but he didn't know why. "Friends do these things for each other."_

"_You've yet to sleep."_

"_That's okay, Miroku is sleeping enough for the both of us. I'll sleep when Sango wakes up. We're taking turns, but she's more battle worn than I am."_

_Not knowing why he was so interested, he took a seat against a tree next to them, and looked at the monk. While the shudders wracking through his body were imperceptible to her, he could see them quite clearly and it was a cause for concern. She dipped the cloth into the cool water before placing it on his brow again, wiping away the sweat. The movement was too smooth for this to be the first time she's dealt with poison. They were too practiced._

"_This is not the first time." It was a statement, not a question._

"_No. Miroku has a tendency to suck up the saimyousho quite often. He tries to avoid it when at all possible, but sometimes, during a battle, it's sink or swim and he believes the only way we can win is if he does something stupid like this." Dipping a second cloth in the water, she placed it across his chest, hoping it would help cool down his heated skin. "He doesn't realize that he doesn't have to constantly put himself in danger to help us. One of these days I'm afraid the poison is going to be too much and he won't wake up."_

"_You would be upset by his stupidity."_

_She glared at him, hard, and something inside him twisted at the challenge. He wasn't used to others challenging, particularly in this manner. "Of course I would be upset by this. I told you he's my friend."_

"_But this was done of his own accord."_

"_It doesn't matter. Say Naraku comes and he takes Rin. You know he's taken Rin, you let him take her, for whatever reason. It doesn't mean we're not going to help you get her back. Of course we would because you're part of us as well. Friends stick up for each other and help each other out when we're in need."_

_She stood and walked to the fire in the middle of the field, feeding it more wood, before pulling a pot out of her bag. _

Friends stick up for each other, help each out when we're in need_. The concept was foreign to him. In the youkai world you had to be strong to survive. Individual strength was important, having others aid you in your quest could be seen as weakness. Yet didn't he help his ward when she was in need? He brought her back to life, he kept her fed and clothed. But that was duty, not friendship._

_By all rights the monk should be dead. The poison should have overtaken his body and he should not have lived beyond the first hour. No doubt whatever the miko was doing was helping._

_And something deep inside him wished he would receive the same care from somebody if ever he should fall to the same fate._

* * *

He felt as if he was slammed into a mountain, the way his body and muscles ached. His head was groggy, and throat parched. 'So dizzy,' he thought as he felt his head spinning in its place, and considering he hadn't moved it, he didn't think it was a good sign.

Without opening his eyes he scented the air around him, trying to decipher where he was, and maybe how he ended up there. His eyes opened wide when he recognized the scenting hanging most heavily over him, and glanced to see his mate, curled up next to him in the bed.

Using what strength he could muster he lifted his hand and moved to pull her closer to him.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He smiled into the sleepy brown eyes he had missed desperately.

* * *

--AN--

As if I'd actually let Sesshoumaru die so early in this story :P But watch in later chapters…muahaha. The angst will only increase, but then, so will the sweet moments.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed. They made me laugh, and they made me smile. Many of you commented on the characters, Satoru, Cho, Inuyasha's calmer demeanor…he's had time to grow up. As for Satoru, I grew rather attached to him while writing, so I'm glad people are liking him too.

Take care, there will be a bonus chapter on Tuesday!

Disclaimer: See Chap One


	5. Chapter 5

Her son was on cloud nine, she noted with a smile, as she watched him and his father from across the field. Over the past few weeks he had the chance to get to know his father, and she was sad to know that it was going to come to an end soon

He needed to return and finish what he started. As it was, he probably shouldn't have been gone as long as he was, but he needed to heal, and she wasn't going to let him go until she knew he was fit for battle again. Jaken knew he was safe, and he would let the western army know so he could keep morale up. But this was going on entirely too long. She had asked him about it the other night, finally finding the courage to find out how much longer he would be away from them. A short time away, she could console Satoru, and herself well enough. But much longer and she didn't know what she was going to do.

Five years ago when he had returned for Satoru's birth she had a hard enough time letting him go. It was going to be nigh impossible this time around.

But that didn't deter Satoru from asking his father to teach him how to fight, and Sesshoumaru's injuries didn't deter him from going out to do just that. Tenseiga in hand, and a wooden practice katana in his son's, they spent their daylight hours parrying and going through defensive and offensive maneuvers.

'This is the way it should be,' she smiled at the glee on Satoru's face as Sesshoumaru praised him for successfully defending himself against a strike. Five years old and already playing with swords.

"He's doing okay, eh," she turned to see Inuyasha standing beside her, arms crossed in front of his chest, hands tucked into the sleeves of his fire rat.

"He's doing great. He's so happy." She looked critically at his face for a moment. His eyes had hardened over the years, becoming more like his brother's than the eyes of the Inuyasha she knew a century ago. But there were laugh lines there. Life was treating him well. "I know you were looking forward to teaching him to fight, but I can't be sorry for this."

"Keh, I've taught five boys how to do this, and while I would have been honoured to teach Satoru, it's Sesshoumaru's right."

A side-long glance though showed her he was proud of Satoru's progress too. "Satoru told me yesterday that he got to watch you and Sesshoumaru spar. He was particularly enthusiastic about the fact that Sesshoumaru took first blood."

"The bastard got lucky, that's all," he mumbled as he shifted his stance slightly.

"Lucky? He struck you while he was still recovering from the poison. I would say that's a little more than luck."

"Yeah well, I was taking it easy on him because he was sick."

"Sure, sure."

She turned her eyes back to the field as she heard Satoru squeal in delight, his sword firmly lodged between Sesshoumaru's arm and chest as he feigned death. She knew Inuyasha was probably standing there in shock at the sight of Sesshoumaru joking around. She knew better, but she also knew that nobody outside of those who were already there would ever see such a thing. Having a child did remarkable things to one's personality if they allowed the change to occur.

"He's making memories to take back with him," she said. "Satoru's laugh, he wants to take that back with him. He told me so last night."

"It's a good thing to take back with him. It gives him hope."

She turned to her friend again. "Do you regret not being there to fight with him, having to stay with us instead?"

He didn't look at her as he replied, instead keeping his eyes on the two figures in the distance as they sparred again. "No. In the beginning I did. I was jealous that he was going to go out there and kick some youkai's ass. I had missed that." Moving his arms from his chest, he reached down and grabbed her hand. "But I missed you more, and it was nice having you back. And it was even nicer when Satoru had come along. It's been years since we've had a baby in here and it's been a long time since I've seen Cho this happy. She has a purpose again when there's somebody to take care of. Besides, there's nothing more important in Sesshoumaru's eyes than protecting his mate and son. If he trusts me of all people to do that, than this thing much be important."

Smiling, she too turned back to watch Satoru and Sesshoumaru. "I missed you too."

"Mama!" She turned to see her little bundle of joy come running to her, arms up the sky and pewter charcoal hair flying behind him. She smiled, ready to greet the little ball of energy that he always seemed to be. Despite the unusual circumstances, he was always happy and carefree. Even moreso lately now that Sesshoumaru was around and spending time with him. If there was ever a case for hero worship…

She was concerned about the heartache though after his father returned to battle, both for herself and Satoru. He had just got his father back and he was about to be taken away again. When, she wasn't sure, but she knew it would be happening soon. She didn't want him to turn into a miniature version of what Sesshoumaru used to be.

"Guess what, chichi-ue's going to take me hunting so we can bring home dinner," his golden eyes were so bright she thought they'd blind her. It made her own start to tear up in true happiness. "He says we'll probably catch a rabbit, but we could get lucky and find something bigger, like a boar."

"Rites of passage," she murmured to nobody in particular. He was so young, but he was going through them already without knowing, or understanding how much they truly meant. First training with his father, first hunt with his father, these were typical activities meant to occur in another few years when he could truly appreciate what they were.

It spoke volumes to her. Sesshoumaru was not coming back for a very long time.

"That's fantastic. So inside and tell Aunt Cho to make something for dinner that'll go well with the game," she leaned down and pressed a kiss to her son's forehead before sending him off. Spotting her mate standing in the field speaking to Inuyasha, she walked over. "Are you sure this is wise so young?" she asked, leaning into him and ignoring Inuyasha.

"He needs to learn sometime. Besides, mentally, he's older than he looks."

"He's five," she countered. "He should be playing with friends."

"He's different. I know it's been hard isolating you two here but there's no other alternative. Satoru may be five, but he has the mentality of a 10 year old. He understands what others do not, and he's a very quick learner." Pulling her closer he continued. "You'll have to start lessons soon as to what it means to be an heir. Not right now, but in another year or two. Inuyasha will know what to do."

Her heart sank as his words set in. _In another year or two_. The war was nowhere near complete. In a few days, she would lose her mate again to a war she couldn't fight. She saw her son run to them from the house and she put the best smile she could muster on her face. She would not ruin this moment for him. This should be something he should remember for the rest of his life.

* * *

"You remember the first time we did this? Just lay in bed all night doing nothing but be together, no interruptions, no worries about state affairs, just you and I." She snuggled further into his side, truly content for the first time in years. He was alive, reasonably healthy, or so he proved just moments ago when he had her biting her lip to keep from screaming his name, and he was all hers. She didn't fear poking an injury when she touched him, nor did she fear a relapse from the toxin when he looked like he was over-exerting himself.

"Hmm, you ran away from Inuyasha that night. For whatever reason it was, you fought and ran, and bumped into me when I was off mediating. It wasn't a bed, but I recall sitting against a tree all night while holding you. You wouldn't shut up."

She giggled, it was true. She was a nervous wreck after she got over her upset and to compensate, she chatted all night. Why he didn't tape her mouth shut, she didn't know. "Tell me something, how did you end up with poison in your system? You're usually much more careful."

He sighed, knowing that was a question that was going to be brought up at some point. "I wasn't paying attention. I was battling Osamu's youngest son, Ryu, at that point and somewhere somebody had mentioned your name and suggested that you had been killed. It only took that split second for Ryu to run a sword dipped in poison through my body. Thankfully I had been off to the side so he only managed to slash my arm, but it was too late as the poison was already inside."

"So you came here to make sure I was alive and well."

"No," he lay them down on the bed, and pulled the covers over both of them, before pulling her closer. "I came here because I recalled the night I first saw you nursing your monk friend, and as I lay there ill, I recalled the feeling I got watching you, how I wished at that time that somebody like you would tend to me in that fashion. And I decided that's where I wanted to be. I knew you were never dead. In the same way that you know I'm alive and well. A mate can tell when their mate is no longer in this world."

"I would have treated you like that," she spoke as she yawned, exhaustion setting in. "If you were sick at that time, even though we couldn't really call each other friends then, if you were sick, I would have nursed you back to health."

"I know."

* * *

_She couldn't see where she was going through the tears in her eyes. He had gone and done it again, although she didn't understand why she was being so sensitive about it. But then how many girls would put up with the guy they love constantly calling them a shard-detector. Hell, he couldn't even call her a friend in front of others. Was it so hard? The gruff, exterior was expected, and she always considered herself to have plenty of patience. After all, he grew up alone in a world full of hate for his kind. Who wouldn't be scarred by that to some degree?_

_But he was better than most, and still, he couldn't accept what was. She had accepted long ago that he could never accept her love, and give her love in return. He would always be torn over Kikyou and unless she suddenly didn't exist anymore, well, there was no point in avoiding it. She would always be around. But he could have offered her his friendship instead of acting like she was either a – some burden or b - a prize._

_She was Kagome first, everything else second, and it was one thing she wasn't willing to give up. _

_Why was she feeling so emotional over it? She should be used to it by now. And despite the regularity of comments, they still hurt._

"_I'm being stupid," she mumbled as she stumbled into a clearing, not really paying attention to where she was going._

"_Insanely," the monotonous voice broke through her thoughts and she turned to see Sesshoumaru meditating under a tree, his eyes still closed._

_"I'm sorry," she apologized for interrupting. "I really didn't mean to intrude on you. I'll just turn around."_

"_Why are you crying over that useless hanyou?" he asked without missing a beat._

"_Would you stop calling him that? He's not useless, he serves a purpose far greater than yours in our group."_

_Opening one golden eye, he stared at her, causing her to flush slightly. "Such loyalty he inspires in you, and for what? A moment where he can cut you down with a single word? Why do you continue to torture yourself like this over him."_

"_Because he's not all that bad, and I don't think he realizes what he's saying." She shrugged her shoulders before taking a seat next to him under the tree. "Inuyasha has a habit of opening his mouth first and thinking later."_

"_Yet you continue to allow it. No matter how much it hurts you, you allow him time and time again to do the same thing. He doesn't learn anything if he knows you'll continue to forgive him."_

"_What am I supposed to do? Carry a grudge? That's not me, and besides, he's my best friend. I can roll with the punches as long as I keep that in mind." Leaning her head back against the tree, she closed her eyes. "Why are you here and not with your own pack?"_

"_Jaken is watching over them. I came merely to meditate, something I cannot do with Rin nearby." She opened an eye again to look at him, surprised to get a straight forward honest answer out of him. She really was expecting to have to pull teeth. _

"_On what?"_

"_It does not matter on what. It's just a way for my body and mind to become one, it allows me to focus on more than just the day to day distractions." He looked into the direction from whence she came, and suddenly pulled her against him, wrapping his arm around her and moving his mouth to close to her ear. A very un-Sesshoumaru-like move, she noted dazedly. "Your hanyou is on his way and I believe it is time to teach him a lesson. He takes your forgiving nature for granted."_

"_Now really," she started to protest and move away from him, but he only tugged tighter until she was nearly sitting on his lap._

"_Let him learn the lesson he needs to learn. It won't hurt him to learn a bit of humility. He should have learned it long ago."_

_She giggled unexpectedly when he brushed his claws along the side of her rib-cage, tickling her in the process just when Inuyasha stepped into the clearing. She turned to explain to him the situation, feeling guilty at getting caught like this, but a whisper in her ear stopped her. _

"_Pretend he's not there looking for you. Focus on me. This is something he needs to learn to survive later in life."_

_And for whatever spell he had cast on her that evening, she forgot everything else existed. Inuyasha had come and gone, neither had let the other go. It wasn't until nearly dawn that morning she fell asleep under an old tree, wrapped in the demon lord's arms. _

* * *

She slowly woke herself up, stretching her body in a catlike manner, enjoying the warmth the sun was pouring down on her. Despite the lack of a great sleep, she felt revived, ready to face the challenges of the world.

It had everything to do with the demon stretched out next to her. She turned to put her arm around him, only to find the spot empty. Jumping up, suddenly wide awake, she looked around the room, finding a quick note on the bedside table.

Reading it, she could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks. She should have known. Satoru's first hunt. Last night he was far too attentive, much more so than he has been the previous few nights. He was saying goodbye.

Silently, she tucked the note into her journal, the words on the page something she'd read each time being without him would become unbearable, before crying herself back to sleep.

* * *

AN

Special birthday post from me! I love giving off extra treats.

There have been some comments about how strong Kagome is. I want you guys to remember this as she's put through the ringer in this fic. So, as you can see above, there is some crying, and she will cry some more, but she will continue to remain strong, especially during the later chapters.

I haven't done review thank you'd individually since the second chapter, so since I am procrastinating on studying, we'll do that today :)

ASS: Shon7, demonlordlover (yes, it's done, it's 13 chapters and we're almost halfway there. You shouldn't have to wait patiently for too long), Violetcarson, midnightflurry (it was designed to start with the action and go from there. It's a story of what happens next, while at the same time we get the story of how they fell in love), ElegantPaws, Sesshyskagome, Arielle, Flightoffancy (I like the idea of a mature Inuyasha, but the only plausible way for me to see it is if he had a mate and a family. That being said, I had no idea Cho would turn out the way she did, but I like her too. And Satoru, well he gets to be a handful, and much like Kagome, he's going to be put to the test. But I'm very attached to him as well), Jean, Isis and snowbird. kar00, LadySafire, Whispering Lilies, kagfan5, kikyohater220, sorata-chan, Yabou, sleepy26, Britt-sempai, soubifan700, Lady Jayme of the East, sayuri-girl, serasvictoria666, and Nekoreibaka (lol, I make no promises, lets just say all of them will need to be extremely strong to get through the trials to come, and I'm extremely flattered. There are several fantastic Sess/kag authors out there, I'm only just trying to keep up lol).

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Co. do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, I do claim Satoru, Osamu and Cho.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a mother's duty to worry, she had told herself when she realized that Inuyasha and Satoru had been gone for the better part of the day. Very rarely did they ever take longer than a few hours to hunt.

It'd been eight.

"They're fine," Cho reassured her as she worked in the vegetable garden beside her. "Mates know these things, and I know my mate is alive and well. He'd sooner die than let anything happen to Satoru."

"Satoru can protect himself," Kagome murmured as she focused back on her task. "For a hanyou, he's far surpassed anybody's expectations of skill, except ours, but then I've always known he's bright." She sighed, "I just can't help but worry when they don't come back on time. Inuyasha too. He may have settled over the years, but I'm sure he still knows how to cause trouble."

"It is a mother's prerogative to worry. I would worry every time Inuyasha would take one of our boys out hunting. I still worry about them even though they are no longer at home. People can tell you to stop worrying all you like, but you're going to continue to do so until they are safe at home under your care."

She didn't say anything, just continued to weed the garden, watering the areas that were getting dry. She really did have faith in her son, and in Inuyasha. Over the past eight years he had trained hard, determined to make his father proud when he would see him again. He was truly becoming the western heir, and while she was proud of his efforts, she mourned the loss of his childhood. Almost overnight, the bright innocent child was gone, the one who would run and pick flowers for her because he wanted to, the one she would find sitting high up in a tree, trying to catch the birds, or the child that would come into the house at day's end covered in mud because he found a bog and he wanted to play in it.

And while she would bemoan the fact that he always came in dirty, she loved the fact that he could go out and have fun in almost any situation.

Now he was determined to become strong enough to fight next to his father in the war.

The argument with Inuyasha about training him for such a feat was one she wouldn't forget anytime soon, nor forgive. At five years old he underwent rigorous training from sun up to sun down, working on balance, endurance, strength building. True sparring didn't begin for another two years yet, but regardless of whether or not he was fighting with a sword, she felt his innocence was lost that first morning.

He would come home at the end of the night, beaten, sore, covered in blood from the scrapes and bruises he would receive while training, and he wouldn't let her tend to him, to mother him. Where was the bright exuberant child she once had?

"_There's no changing his mind Kagome. Don't you think I've tried to change his mind? He's as stubborn as his bastard father."_

"_You can say no," _she had screamed at him. "_You can say no and tell him you'll train him when he's just a little bit older."_

"_He doesn't want to wait. And I don't think he should have to. He's Sesshoumaru's son, heir to the west. If he weren't here, if he were at home living his life as he should, he'd have started training last year. He would have been given his very first practice katana already, not the wooden one I have him working with."_

"_I don't care, he's too young. We're here, not at home and we have to deal with that. I don't want him thinking about going off to war with his father at five years old. I've been there, we've been there," she said referring to their time with Naraku. "He doesn't know what it entails, and I don't want him to know."_

"_Listen, I'm training him and that's final. Sesshoumaru and I had already spoken about this before he left and he's left it up to me to continue the training. If I don't do it, he'll find somebody else who will, and there isn't a single person out there who I would trust to do it right with the western heir. You keep forgetting that's what he is, Kagome. He's not just your son, he's heir to the west. He has a right to learn how to defend what's his."_

That was probably what hurt the most, Sesshoumaru speaking to Inuyasha about it, the brother he had hated for most of his life, and yet he didn't say a word about it to her, his mate. She had scanned his letter several times to see if there was even the slightest hint as to what he was planning, but there was nothing, just soft words for her, something for her to hold onto until he returned again.

"Kami."

She looked up to the clearing when she heard Cho's voice, and saw her running across the field. Her heart was lodged in her throat as she saw Satoru being used a human crutch, holding up his uncle. Dropping her basket, she ran across the field behind Cho. "What happened?" She asked as she ran her hands over her son, looking for injuries. Cho had Inuyasha well in hand, he wasn't her priority.

"Ambush," he had gritted out as he continued to move Inuyasha toward the hut. "Rogue youkai looking for a good time. We were doing fine, Uncle Yasha teaching me to work with my claws while fighting, and they were easy enough that we didn't need Tessaiga, but one of them snuck up on him while he was watching my back."

"Keh, it's only a scratch," the hanyou muttered as Cho ran ahead to prepare some bandages and boil some water.

"Some things never change," Kagome sighed, thankful that it was Inuyasha who took the blow and not her son. It was selfish of her to think it, but she had already lost Sesshoumaru to a war, she didn't know what she would do if she lost her boy too. She didn't think her heart would survive until Sesshoumaru returned again if that had been the case.

She stopped them and lifted the back of his robe up to look at the wound before letting him go again. The gashes were deep, but they were just that, gashes. "Well, it's much better than that hole in your stomach."

"Keh. And that healed just fine, not even a scar."

"Hole in your stomach?" Satoru had asked as he placed his uncle on the mat on the floor in the house

"Yeah, your bastard father thought it would fun to run me through with his hand. Only it wasn't his hand as I recall, he had used the claw of a dragon."

"Cool."

She sent a sharp glance at her son. Typically the use of 20th century speak coming from him would amuse her to no end, but not today. "Not cool. It scared the living daylights out me. It was possibly the first time I truly feared for his life."

"I told you I was fine. It hurt like a son of a bitch, but I knew it would heal over, just as these will too – ow, what the fuck did you do that for bitch!" he winced as Cho started slapping a salve onto his back.

"Stupid," she berated him. "I don't care how invincible you think you are, you aren't. You don't turn your back on an enemy ever. I thought you knew better than that. You taught our boys better than that."

Kagome turned her back on him and walked to her bedroom, leaving Cho to chew out Inuyasha for his stupidity. He probably deserved it, but she couldn't berate him for protecting her boy.

"Mama?" She turned to see Satoru standing at her bedroom door and smiled. It didn't matter how fast he grew up, she was always mama. Mother maybe when he was irritated with her, but always mama.

"Come in, sorry, I'm having an emotional day."

"It really wasn't much of a fight," he tried to reassure her. "They just got lucky when they got that pot shot at Uncle Yasha."

"I know, I've seen him fight. I just don't like seeing you fight."

In an instant he was standing next to her, hugging her like there was no tomorrow. He knew she didn't like his training, or his fighting, but she also didn't understand that it was something he needed to do. It was in his blood, dating back to his grandfather.

When had he grown so tall? She suddenly thought as she moved her arms around to hug him back, resting her head on his shoulder. It felt just like yesterday she would sit him on her lap. So much like his father, she thought, from the gold eyes, strong physique, despite the fact that he was still young and lean, and long hair, though not silver like Sesshoumaru's, was just as soft.

And his heart, as honourable as Sesshoumaru's, and as big as her own.

"When do you think I'll be ready to fight alongside father?" She stiffened as he asked the question she dreaded most, the question he asked every night before bed.

"Not for a few more years yet. You're good," she conceded, "But there's so much more you need to learn."

"You, father and Uncle Yasha accomplished so much in the past. What kind of leader would I be if I couldn't live up to it? If I can help father during the war, then maybe it'll end sooner, you two could be together again." He pulled her tighter. "I see how much you miss him, how it tears you apart sometimes."

She smiled, so perceptive. "It does, but you also help me keep it together. Being here, watching you grow up helps so much."

* * *

"Kagome."

She rolled over in bed smiling, hoping she wouldn't wake up as she was having the most wonderful dream.

He was there.

"Kagome," the voice called out to her again, and this time she opened her eyes as it seemed too good to be true, yet too real to be a dream.

"Sesshoumaru?" she murmured as he came into focus, before launching into his arms. "Oh god, you're hurt aren't you?" she immediately backed off and started running her hands over him, looking blood and more.

His clothing was ripped, dirty, covered in mud, his hair lay flat against him, lacking in the usual luster, telling her that he had been fighting an intense battle before joining her.

Still, he had never looked so good to her.

Pulling her to him, he laughed at her antics. "I'm fine, a little dirty but then I haven't had time to take a proper bath in the past few days." Pressing his lips to hers lightly, he continued. "Isn't it possible that I've just missed my mate and decided to come see her for a few days?"

She wanted to believe him, desperately needed to believe him. "Why after eight years? If you missed me as desperately as you say, why did you wait eight years if this is just a simple visit?"

He sighed against her lips and pulled her to sit on his lap. "It wasn't easy for me to get away. Each time I leave the front lines to come to you, I put both you and Satoru in danger. Osamu has spies everywhere throughout the west and although I manage to vanquish those that I find, there's always the possibility that one might have slipped though my grasp and followed me here. A slim possibility, but it's there."

"So what happened to bring you out here this time?" She cuddled closer to him, knowing she would only have a few short days with him, if that.

"I killed Osamu's heir. He's set a bounty on Satoru's head. I needed to see for myself that he was safe, and speak with Inuyasha about it."

Fear struck into the heart of her, and for the first time in eight years, she was thankful Inuyasha had begun to train her son. He would be able to defend himself. "He and Inuyasha were attacked by youkai today while hunting."

She felt him stiffen around her, before relaxing again. "Seeing as you're not in mourning, I'm assuming all is well."

"Yeah. He came out unscathed. Inuyasha wasn't so lucky, but I'm sure his injuries were nothing compared to the wrath he received from Cho."

She looked around the room and saw his swords laying against the table, his armor on the floor next to it. He felt safe here, she thought. Despite the dangers he feels safe. It spoke very highly of his brother, although she knew he would never say the words to him. "What's in the cloth?" she pointed to a parcel next to his swords.

"A gift for Satoru." He let her go for a moment before picking up the package and unwrapping it.

She stared in awe at the fang in his hands. Sesshoumaru carrying on the legacy passed down to him from his own father. "A fang created from my own and Inuyasha's, infused with our blood, the blood of the Inu no Taisho."

"Is this more like Tessaiga or Tenseiga?" she asked as she ran her hands along the blade, careful of the sharp edges.

"I don't know, Totosai wouldn't tell me anything. It is up to Satoru to find the strength he needs to unlock the powers in the katana. That will be the next part of his training. I will start with him on it tomorrow, and let Inuyasha know how he can help him unlock it." He wrapped the fang back in the cloth and placed it next to his swords. Satoru will be so proud, was all she could think.

His own fang protected by the blood of the Inu no Taisho line. Another rite of passage.

"How long have you had it?"

"Six years. Totosai started work on it the moment I returned from here last time. He calls it his greatest piece."

"I think it might be," she murmured as she moved back to his arms.

"That is for tomorrow," he whispered as he ran his hands down her side, untying the obi keeping her yukata together. "Tonight is for us. Did I tell you how much I missed you?" he asked, before nipping her neck.

"Desperately," she breathed, her last rational thought of the night.

* * *

AN

Almost halfway through this story :)

For those waiting for Mirrored Pasts update this weekend, it probably won't happen. I have it written, but I'm still unsure about it. While writing the following chapter, I realized something wasn't jiving, and I think it has to do with how I ended the previous, so there will be some tweaking. I'll get it up when I'm pleased with it

Happy Weekend!

Disclaimer: see chap one


	7. Chapter 7

"_Wrong miko, again."_

_She stood with her hands on her knees, head down breathing deeply. At this point she was wondering why she came up with the psychotic idea of getting Sesshoumaru to train her. Inuyasha would know her limitations. He wouldn't push her past them, well, he wouldn't if he was on speaking terms with him._

"_Your life is on the line, Naraku won't stop attacking because you need a rest. Again," he thundered as he came at her, sword in hand. She barely had a chance to swing her own sword, knocking his aside before he was at her again with his claws. She started gasp and choke as his hand wrapped around her neck and she was slammed into a tree behind her._

"_That hurt," she managed to breathe out before he unceremoniously dropped her to the floor, and kneeled next to her so she was at eye level._

"_You're getting sloppy. Your arrows will only take you so far in a battle. Eventually you're going to have to rely on hand to hand combat, and your friends may not be there to do all the fighting for you."_

_Catching her breath she glared at him. "I do not let them do all the fighting for me. Yes, I want to learn hand to hand. I had asked to learn hand to hand, but they refused to teach me."_

"_I told you when we first began this that I would not take it easy on you because you were human and this was your first time. You do not need to learn to attack, you need to learn to defend."_

"_How is not attacking any different than letting my friends fight for me," she countered._

"_They will be better able to work against Naraku if they're not constantly worried about you. Keep your bow and arrows, they will come in handy no doubt. They are your strength. When it becomes too much, pull out your sword and prepare to defend yourself." He held his hand out to pull her up to her feet, before giving back her sword._

"_I want to fight," she took a battle stance, ready to learn some more._

"_And you will, but you will learn to defend yourself first. It will do you no good knowing how to attack when you won't be able to avoid the first attack on you." He picked up Tenseiga and came at her again. "Block!" he commanded. "Again."_

_He came at her again, and again, and again, head on, from the left, from the right, from behind. "Not good enough," he said as he tried the same maneuver again. "We'll keep at this until you get it right, no matter how tired you are."_

_The force of his sword sent hers flying from her hand five times, but she refused to ask him to let up. She was going to be fighting a half-demon. It only made sense then that she learn to defend herself from a full demon. Even if she barely managed it, it would be all right with her._

_She blinked for a moment when he stopped. "This is child's play. It's enough for today. Tomorrow we go longer, we'll build up your endurance because as it stands now, you'd be dead in five minutes."_

_He sheathed Tenseiga before heading back to camp. "I suggest you bathe, Naraku could probably track us down based on your stench alone."_

"_Asshole," she muttered before sheathing her own sword and grabbing her backpack. She scrunched her nose though as the smell of sweat permeated the air around her. "Although I guess I do smell a bit fresh."_

* * *

Despite the fact that Inuyasha and Satoru were nearly evenly matched, Satoru had a long way to go to match his father. But oh he tried. She watched him relentlessly attack his father time and time again as they sparred for hours in the open clearing behind the house. The sparring was nearly as ruthless as when Inuyasha used to battle with him, but then, there was an intent to kill. Today, there was only the intent to teach.

Satoru's chest would puff with pride with each word of praise he would receive from Sesshoumaru, and he endeavoured to fix each problem he had. He was too slow, he swung too far right, he left an opening an experienced demon would have no problems taking advantage of, the list went on.

But he didn't tire, which surprised her as she tired very easily when she trained with him all those years ago. Maybe it was because she was a human, or possibly because she didn't fight with her whole heart, like her son did. He took great pride in his skill, and it was evident that he was destined for something great.

So where did this leave her? She had lost her bond with her baby boy over the years, and while she would always be his mother, he would always be his father's son.

"I want to train again," she told Inuyasha as she watched the two men she loved most in this world beat each other to a pulp.

"Huh? Why?"

"I've forgotten who I am over the past years, and it's been growing worse with Sesshoumaru gone and Satoru growing up. I may have only accidentally arrived here, but I stayed to fight. It's my time again."

He looked at her, gold eyes scanning her own brown ones. "You don't have to fight you know, you've never really had to fight. I would have made sure you were safe against Naraku, regardless of whether or not Sesshoumaru trained you. And same goes for now. Satoru and I will make sure you're safe. He already feels it's his duty as his son. Despite that, he does it out of love."

"It shouldn't be his duty, I am his mother, and it's my responsibility to make sure my children are safe. There's a bounty on his head, I'm sure Sesshoumaru has already informed you about it."

He nodded, letting her know that they did indeed have such a conversation.

"It's time for me to stop watching everything from the sidelines. I will fight to keep him safe. But it's been so long I need a refresher course. I won't let anything happen to him under my watch. It's about time I do something."

She stated her words with such conviction, he couldn't help but agree to her request by tossing her a practice sword. "All right, show me what you've got."

She lunged at him in a move Sesshoumaru had taught her shortly after they were mated, struggling to maintain her balance, move quickly and swing the blade at the precise angle she needed. With relative ease he deflected the blow with his own practice blade and immediately went on the offensive.

'Block, move, block, swing,' she recited in her mind as Inuyasha kept coming after her, pushing her back, forcing her to react to every action of his.

'Why is this so hard, I should know this,' she questioned herself as she managed to deflect another swing, just barely.

"This is going to get you nowhere, Kagome, unless you shape up. I've seen more pitiful humans fight better than this."

"Give me a break," she huffed. "I'm coming back to this after one hundred years of zero practice. I think I'm doing pretty damn good if I do say so myself."

"Keh, you'd be dead if this were a real battle. How the hell did you survive the attack thirteen years ago if this is how you fight?"

_She lay on her back on the bedroom floor, panting from the exertion she exhibited only moments ago, the fire youkai circling around her._

"_That's right, scream bitch," his red eyes bore deep into hers as he intensified the attack, flames surrounding the barrier on all sides, parts of the barrier burning away. _

"_What matters is I'll be rewarded handsomely for your death," he grinned as he intensified the flames yet again._

The images came unbidden to her head as she listened to his words, saw his eyes staring at her hard. "I am not weak," she spoke through clenched teeth. "I will not be weak again."

His eyes widened as he watched the familiar glow rise in her, her reiki waking up to realize it's full potential. The air became charged as her aura snapped. 'That's it, keep it coming Kagome,' he thought with pride. This was the old Kagome. This was the Kagome he knew. In his moment of distraction she swung her sword and a blast of her energy hit him square in the chest.

"Oh god, Inuyasha," she dropped her blade and ran to him, hoping the damage wasn't permanent.

"Go mom!" she heard her son cheering in the background, but didn't pay much attention. There were bigger things to deal with.

Inuyasha was human.

"Nice shot Kagome. I suggest doing that whenever possible in a battle."

"Are you okay?" she helped him up and gestured to his black hair. He understood the implied question, 'are you going to change back?'

"I'll be fine in a few hours. I can already feel the stir of my youki fighting to return."

She turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "We were sparring," she explained, although she doubted he needed the explanation. Sesshoumaru had an uncanny sense of knowing what she was doing at all times, even when he wasn't with her.

"I gathered. You were sloppy, miko."

"I was out of practice," she growled at him.

"And whose fault is that?"

* * *

She was going to cry. Moments like these, she wished she had her camera so she could capture it on film. Regardless, it was something she was likely never to forget. And if her son didn't already have a bad enough case of hero worship when it came to his father, it was only about to get worse.

Sesshoumaru presented him with his fang.

Satoru's hands ran lovingly over the blade, before grasping the hilt. He was acting like a man who knew his swords and had studied them for years with the way he was examining it. It was Totosai's work, she knew he wouldn't, couldn't find a flaw in it.

It was supposed to be his greatest achievement after constructing both Tessaiga and Tenseiga, but that was not what was important to Satoru. To Satoru, it made him an equal among his father and his uncle.

"Your training will take a new turn starting tomorrow. You will need to grow accustomed to the blade, learn to wield it."

"Yes chichi-ue," Satoru bowed his head in honour.

"It will not be easy. Mastering the Taisho fangs have never been easy, and Totosai refused to let me know what powers the blade contains. That is something only you can find out."

"When will you be leaving father?" Satoru asked, knowing it would be soon. He wanted more time to train with him, to learn how to use fang.

"Tonight, after dark." Kagome felt her heart sink. She knew he had to go, but every time he came for these small visits, it was getting harder and harder to let him go. The war was still at a stalemate, both forces being equal in strength, and with Osamu so well-guarded, it was a difficult feat to destroy him. She knew this was causing an endless amount of frustration for Sesshoumaru, having the enemy so close, but so far. "You will train with Inuyasha. You will need the hanyou's perspective as he went through it learning to wield Tessaiga."

She understood what she was telling him. Hanyou blood was different from youkai blood, the fang would react differently in Sesshoumaru's hands than it would in Satoru's hands. It was his way of easing Satoru's disappointment that he would not be able to train with his father.

How much more time was she going to spend with him though before he left? The nights had always been hers. No matter how much time he spent with Satoru during the day, she knew that once the darkness came, he was hers. Only tonight he was leaving shortly after the darkness came.

Unable to stand there and watch him anymore, she turned to run into the house. She wasn't about to torture herself for much longer, and dream things she knew couldn't happen.

"Oi, wench. What's up with Lord Stick up his ass out there?" She turned to see Inuyasha sitting at the table with Cho getting a head start on dinner. Noticing the silver strands starting to return among the black, she smiled. The damage wasn't permanent, thank goodness. She still felt bad over it. "He just gave Satoru the fang. He'll be leaving tonight." She nearly fell apart while speaking the last sentence.

"I know. He told me this morning. You knew he couldn't stay for very long. He killed six spies on his way here. They're getting closer and it's becoming riskier."

"I know all this," she bit out, frustrated at hearing the same thing over and over again, from him, from her mate, and from herself. "It doesn't mean I have to like it one bit. I've spent the better part of my life helping others, doing things for others. I want to be selfish just once, is that too much to ask for?"

He glanced at his own mate, enamored with the blush that was now presenting itself on her cheeks. "No, I guess not."

"I'll be in my room for a little bit. I have a headache coming on," she lied, hoping that in his human state he wouldn't be able to sense it. "If you need any help preparing dinner, just let me know."

She wasn't in the room thirty seconds before she collapsed on the bed in tears. The frustrations of the day combined with the training session that had left her exhausted earlier didn't help with her patience. "Is it really asking for too much to be selfish for just one day?" she cried into her pillow.

"No."

She turned half dazed to see her mate sitting next to her on the bed, looking down at her with pained, gold eyes. Wiping her eyes, she sat up. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget how hard this separation is for you too. Not only are you dealing with your own emotions, but you've also got your instincts to deal with."

"And everyday they scream at me to go home to you. These visits aren't enough for me anymore either." He pushed her gently across the bed before stretching out on it, and pulling her back to him. "The pup is meditating," he whispered as he brushed his lips along the shell of her ear. "We have a few hours before I have to go."

And for the first time all day, she smiled brilliantly.

* * *

AN

An early post for the weekend. Btw, we've just surpassed the halfway point of this story and the easy breezy life of Kagome's and Satoru's will be taking a drastic change :) That's all I'll say. And it's not all that long before you'll get to meet Osamu…oh what a wonderful character he is, it was a delight writing him and it came so easily once I figured out what type of villain he was. Nasty creature that one.

Okay, teasing for the day is complete.

Disclaimer: See chap one


	8. Chapter 8

For the first time in days, the snow was just free falling to the ground, lightly, instead of whipping at her from the wind. It was almost as if it were giving its blessing to the two figures sitting on the bench at the edge of the forest. She sighed, wondering where the time had gone, and pleased that he had grown into such a fine young man. Giggling, she couldn't believe how much like a mother she sounded, but then she'd also had years of practice.

He was still so young in many ways, she knew, being hanyou he aged differently than others, matured differently than others. Although, she had to admit he was definitely more mature than Inuyasha was at this age. It must be Sesshoumaru's blood in him. But from this point on his age progression would slow down to a near standstill, and he had many years to learn what humans needed to know already.

But still, she really couldn't have been happier for him, watching him laugh, and smile, and hold her hand, and act shy when he would present the girl with flowers, the same that he used to give to her when he was a child.

Her Satoru was in love.

And after so many years of loneliness, it did her heart good to see it, despite the fact that it only made her miss her mate more.

God, they were still so innocent, she thought as she saw her boy spin in the snow with the girl, before lifting his head up to catch the snowflakes. It was something she had taught him to do when he was still a toddler, and fascinated with things that fell from the sky. At times, she still caught him wandering out in the rain, head up trying to catch the drops. This would stop one day, she knew, probably when he became hardened with battle and the trivialities that come with being the heir of the west. His lessons in the classroom, so to speak, were long over as she had taught him everything he needed to know. His book smarts continually made her proud, and her pride grew even bigger when Inuyasha had praised his skill in strategy. The boy had an inherent knack for the role he was to play one day.

He truly lived up to his name.

She was proud to say though, in the area of love, he took after her as he took the study of romance very seriously. He just went to the wrong sources for his information, she grimaced, as she remembered overhearing the conversation with Inuyasha. Inuyasha wouldn't know romance from a hole in the wall, and Cho had heartily agreed.

But Aya was living up to her name, a rainbow in an otherwise dull existence. And while she didn't have noble blood, it wouldn't stop Satoru from taking her as a mate. Aya could very well be a future lady of the west, and Kagome would support her fully.

The owl youkai was wise beyond her years, constantly challenging her son to do better, to learn more, whether it be about worldly events or inane little details that nobody would think was worth knowing.

And her heart was as big her son's. Day in and day out she would toil at local orphanage, playing with the children, cleaning up the rooms, making sure there was enough food to go around. When Satoru had told of this, it seemed too good to be true, and for a time, she was a skeptic, wondering what type of woman had wrapped her claws around her boy.

It wasn't until Cho had verified the story, telling her she had seen it with her own eyes did she start looking at the girl in a new light. And what she found was very endearing.

Giddy with delight, as she watched them both lay back in the snow making snow angels, she was going to have a daughter in law soon. She hoped, more than anything, that Sesshoumaru would show up one day, before the big event, to give Satoru his blessing.

After all, it seemed that nature already has. They couldn't have picked a better day to just sit around and do nothing except be with each other.

His laughter echoed into the house, followed by hers, warming her. In all her years before he was born, when she only dreamt of being a mother, she never once thought what it would be like to watch your child fall in love.

It was exhilarating, and brought back so many memories. She was only thankful that this was an easy courtship. There were days when she wasn't sure her own would hold up.

* * *

_An uncomfortable silence had settled everywhere, regardless of whether or not her friends were around. Inuyasha's behaviour was to be expected, the brash, emotional hanyou that he was. Without knowing it, he wore his thoughts on his sleeve, and their years together had given her an uncanny ability to read his mind in many ways. One glance would tell her a thousand things. One stare, and she knew everything there was to know on how he felt about an issue. He hadn't said one word to her since her announcement, and this disturbed her._

_She wanted him to yell at her, swear at her, berate her or something. But he had only walked away with sad eyes. _

_Disappointed eyes._

_He was breaking her heart. A year ago she had wished she could be with him, that she could love him the way he deserved to be loved, and be loved by him in return. Six months ago, she thrilled at knowing she was his best friend, and that she was the one person he could trust with his whole heart. And she was happy with this, wanting nothing more knowing anything more could and would only lead to disaster. _

_But now, she didn't know. _

_Her reflection in the tide pool stared back up at her, before blinking away as her tears splashed on the surface, breaking the image._

_Everything was breaking. _

_Sango and Miroku didn't understand, nor did they want to try to understand. Sango had just walked away from her, Miroku followed soon after he heard her explanations. How could she explain her heart to them though? It wasn't something she could turn on and off with a flick of a switch, suddenly decide that the path she was on wasn't the one meant for her._

_If it wasn't meant for her, then why did it seem so right?_

_Stripping down to her bathing suit, she stepped into the tide pool and began to relax a little as the cool water lapped at her body. It was probably the closest thing she'd get to a bath all week seeing as Inuyasha was becoming increasingly touchy about the idea of stopping, especially near a spring. He was punishing her, she knew. It was his form of revenge, his way of rebelling against the impending future, one without her by his side. He was hurting, so he was lashing out. _

_But he probably didn't realize that he was hurting her in the process. With every comment he made, every action he took against her, her heart would crack just a little more._

_Now if only he would open his eyes and see what was actually in front of him._

_She was happy. For the first time in her life she felt happy – no lingering doubts, no lack of faith, and she had developed an unwavering trust she had never felt in anybody before.  
_

_Sesshoumaru would sooner cut off his other arm than ever intentionally, or unintentionally cause her harm – physically, mentally and emotionally._

"_He's just an idiot," she murmured to herself as she floated in the water. There was no reason for Inuyasha to be jealous He had his chance for a happily ever after with her, and he turned his back on it, walking away. Who could blame her for moving on?_

_Swimming back to the shore, she climbed out of the water and wrapped herself in her large, fluffy towel. She didn't want to return to the group. Despite the uncomfortable silence surrounding the area, she felt oddly at ease alone at the pool. Nobody was judging her here, nobody was here to stare at her in disgust._

_A cool metal was pressed suddenly to the soft flesh of her neck and she tensed in fear for all of a moment, before relaxing when she recognized the blade._

_Tenseiga._

"_You've let your guard down, miko." He removed the blade before sheathing it. "It could be very dangerous to do so when you're alone."_

_Pulling the large towel around her tighter, she smiled at him. "I was never in harm's way. It's too quiet, I'd have known."_

_Sitting next to her, he pulled her to him, needing the contact. "You weren't aware of me standing behind you."_

"_No, but then you weren't, aren't a threat either."_

"_Your family?" he asked, not needing to elaborate the question any further. _

_She sighed deeply, wishing she didn't have to bring up the bad memories again. "Not good. Mama and ji-chan don't understand how I could switch allegiances so quickly, and so they believe I'm just suffering from teenage hormones and what I feel isn't real. They refuse to accept that I won't be back and my mother actually called me selfish. Souta believes I've betrayed Inuyasha, who happens to be his hero." Looking out at the tide pools, she leaned into him further, seeking the warmth and comfort he usually reserved just for her. "I'm not going back, as much as that'll hurt. I'll just hurt them more if I do go back and we continue to argue about this. I've said my goodbyes."_

"_I'm alone now," she whispered as they watched the sun set upon them._

"_You'll never be alone," he whispered back, nuzzling her hair._

* * *

'You lied,' she thought as her mind drifted back to that day. 'I'm more alone now than I ever was.' But she couldn't hold him at fault. She knew this was going to be her fate. She knew that she would have to remain separated from him in order to defeat the enemy. After nearly a century of inactivity, she had foolishly believed the threat had passed, regardless of whether or not she was carrying the heir.

Her ignorance nearly killed her and her son. Her mate, however, had anticipated this and already had a plan in action. He was forever surprising her by remembering the small things, the little details.

The fact that he had maintained a relationship with Inuyasha all those years, despite the way she parted ways with him was proof enough. And she couldn't me more thankful at the same time. Her Inuyasha was back, the one she had depended on, and the one she had trusted above any other until his brother entered the picture.

Now he was helping her raise her son, fulfilling the duty Sesshoumaru couldn't do. 'Satoru is a stronger man not only because of myself and Sesshoumaru, but Inuyasha too'. His father's patience, my love of life, and Inuyasha's honour.

"He's going to speak with Aya's father tonight." Inuyasha stood next to her looking out the window. "I'll be going with him," he reassured at her sharp glance. "He's made small trips off the property before. But he wants to do this right."

"Does Aya know what this will entail? Does she know the hardships she's going to have to face being the mate of an unwanted hanyou prince?"

He sighed. "No. But then Satoru hasn't had to face true hardship yet either. Sesshoumaru's court may have accepted you, but then you've proven yourself powerful enough, worthy enough. You had to earn that respect. He'll have to fight for it when he returns."

"He'll succeed," she said with every confidence. "How can he not when he has the best of all of us in him?"

"It's different with Satoru. I have no doubt in his strength and intelligence, but they accepted you because you were only the mate; there to produce the offspring they need for the line to continue. You have no real say in how Sesshoumaru governs his territory, how he defends it. But Satoru…he'll be governing one day, and many will see the fact that he's a hanyou as a weakness, not a strength."

Looking back at the couple with sad eyes, she mourned his future, knowing it would be filled with struggles and strife. "You've grown wise over the years Inuyasha. You grew up."

"Keh," he blushed. "Had to do it sometime."

* * *

A deathly howl echoed through the pitch black of the night, causing her to shudder. Something was coming. It was too eerily silence otherwise, the atmosphere contained a tension like she hadn't felt in years.

Not since the final days of Naraku.

Not since the day the future of the world rested in her hands.

But this was different, not quite as big, but it certainly felt personal. "Cho," she whispered to the woman looking out the window. "How far away are they?" she asked, hoping they were still with Aya's parents, hoping both Inuyasha and Satoru were safe.

"I don't know. Something's happened. I haven't heard a cry like that since the day we lost our youngest son to the tiger youkai. Inuyasha sat there howling for days."

Her eyes widened a touch in recognition of the sound.

A mourning call.

"Satoru!" Grabbing her blade she ran out the door, opening her senses to those around her, zeroing in on the source of the tension.

Turmoil. A great struggle for sanity, all of these thoughts, emotions ran through her so harshly she thought she would collapse in sickness. _That isn't Inuyasha's howl_. It only made the sickly feeling in the pit of her stomach worse.

Brushing the branches of trees and bushes aside as she ran, she made her way past the clearing and into the forest beyond the property. Toward Aya's. _Please God_ she kept pleading as she struggled through the thick brush.

She nearly collapsed in relief when she saw Satoru sitting on the ground, alive, and uninjured. "Mama," he whimpered, drawing her eyes to the body in his lap, covered in blood, head nearly severed completely.

Aya.

"Kagome!" she turned to see Inuyasha running toward her. "Get down!"

* * *

AN

So I've decided to update this twice weekly since it is complete and I'm really accomplishing nothing by doing it once a week, not that I was trying to accomplish something

So look for this on Mondays and Fridays until we finish. The days of peace are over…

Thank you for your kind words everybody! They mean the world to me and they always make me smile :)

Disclaimer: See chap 1


	9. Chapter 9

She ducked to the ground as Inuyasha leapt above her, swinging Tessaiga high over his head. If the moment weren't tense, she'd have smiled as it brought back fond memories of their travels together. But she looked to her son while Inuyasha finished off the Eagle youkai, incinerating it to dust with a blast of his wind scar.

The golden light should have made her feel safe, cherished, but it was too late for that. Her baby was hurting and there wasn't a thing she could do about it.

Satoru growled at her as she made her way to him, and she watched him clutch the lifeless body closer to him. He held his mate in his arms, everybody else, including her, was a threat as he dealt with the torment inside him.

How was she to help him when the last thing he wanted was help? She wanted to run to him, to hug him and take the hurt away, like she had when he was younger and had a bad dream, or a cut from playing too rough. He didn't want to be saved though, he didn't want the hurt to go away, she knew. She could see it in the way he stroked Aya's face, the tears rolling down his cheeks as his golden eyes were filled with such grief.

She could only mourn with him and hope he would pull through this.

"Satoru." She could feel her own tears roll down her cheeks as he snarled at her, before leaping off into the trees with Aya.

Solitude.

She knew that was the best thing for him at this moment.

"He needs to deal with this on his own." She turned to see Inuyasha standing next to her, his own eyes filled with sorrow. "He won't let anybody near her until he's come to terms with it. It's instinctive."

"How long will that take?"

"I don't know. It's different for each youkai. It depends on the strength of their bond. When Kikyou died, I was lost, if only for a few days. If it were Cho?" he rubbed a hand over his face as he thought of it. "God, I don't know if I could come back from it. How do you come back from losing your other half? When all you can remember is how invincible you felt around them?" He turned to face her and looked at her hard. "Do you see now why Sesshoumaru is doing this? Why he sent you away? He can't even comprehend the thought of losing you, Kagome. The attempt on you that night seemed to have undone everything inside him, and it means he will stay away from you for lifetimes if it means you're safe and well. Only you. Anybody else he could care less about, even his son. It's accepted that your offspring chance dying in battle, and if they die with honour, then you are honoured. But you, if he lost you? He'd be lost himself."

She looked to the devastation left behind by the wind scar, the torn trees, rocks and rubble pushed aside and deep grooves in the ground. She hadn't seen the wind scar in all it's glory for over one hundred years. Not since the days of Naraku. And she was sure he had only needed to use it a handful of times since. His existence was peaceful for the most part. He deserved that.

"What happened?"

"Eagle youkai out of nowhere dropped out of the sky and I guess his aim was a little off, and grabbed Aya by the neck, digging his talons into her. Once he realized he had the wrong youkai, he just flung her like she was a sack of garbage and dove toward Satoru. The only thing that saved him was his rising youkai in response to the threat against his mate. He didn't think, he just took action." There was a sense of awe in his next comment. "He unlocked the power, Kagome. He unlocked the power in his fang. Totosai really outdid himself with that one."

"What was it?" She was curious after watching him for the past several years work day and night trying to figure it out.

"I can't describe it, you sort of have to be there to see it. Best I can say is a silver light just ensnared the youkai, engulfing it before erupting. I've never seen the likes of it before, the brilliance of it."

"So if he destroyed the youkai, what was it doing back?"

"That was another," his eyes narrowed. "They were spies of Osamu. We both caught sight of his crest on them."

"Osamu?"

"You've been figured out. They know Satoru is his heir. If we weren't sure before, we know now when the second one had screeched out his threat against him, 'spawn of the west'."

Looking back in the direction Satoru took off to, she sighed and decided it was time to head back to the house. He had fought and killed a youkai today. He was ready to spring on her, his own mother when she stepped forward to help him. There was nothing she could do for him right now, and given his newfound strength, she knew he could more than take care of himself. "What do we do?"

"I don't know, but I'm sending a message to Sesshoumaru to let him know what's going on. We all knew it was only a matter of time before they found you, but I could have hoped for a few more years. When Sesshoumaru got himself into this, he didn't think it would last this long. He had told me initially a year at the most."

"Satoru's going to want to fight."

"Probably," he held the door open before guiding her to the eating area and lighting a few lanterns around the room. "We can discuss it later, when he returns." He left the room, no doubt looking for Cho, she knew. Everybody needed to turn to somebody at times like these. Satoru would deal with Aya's death in his own way. Inuyasha and Cho would turn to each other, as mates did when they struggled with grief and upset. And herself?

If she had ever felt alone before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Gathering her knees to her, she lay her head on it, and wept. Wept for her son who was too distraught to do nothing but hold his mate, wept for Sesshoumaru, who would never know the girl who captured Satoru's heart, and she wept for herself, knowing that all she could at this moment was just that.

* * *

_She held him close, unwilling to let go for even a moment, knowing her strength was vital to his existence, vital to keep himself together. It was the little things that clued her into her lord's near break down, the way his eyes suddenly went dull, the twitch underneath one of them, the way his lips would tighten periodically on his face. To anybody else, they were just Sesshoumaru-esque features. To her, they told her a story she never wanted to hear from him._

_He was grieving in the worst way possible, closing himself off from everybody and everything around him. Ready to close himself off from her if she gave him the time to do it. From experience she knew grief was something best shared, and never something to be set aside. Setting it aside would only destroy him later._

_But the way he held himself, stiff, as he looked down at her broken body, she couldn't help but feel the grief overcome her too as it spilled over from him unto her. _

_His knuckles were white from the grip he held on Tenseiga as he raised it over Rin's crumpled form, his eyes wide as he willed to do his bidding._

_He had failed._

_She knew he believed that Naraku had managed to destroy someone under his protection. It didn't matter that it wasn't his fault, that he couldn't know the evil hanyou had sent his minions after her. It was a blow to his pride._

_But more than that, it was a blow to his heart, the first human he had ever loved, whether or not he admitted that to himself. She wasn't just a ward, she was a daughter. She saw this in the way he treated the girl, the way he guided her in life, taught her the ability to fend for herself, as a youkai would teach their young._

_What had managed to forget over the years was that Rin was human, and as susceptible to disease, injury, and death as the rest of humanity. Still, she grieved with him, knowing he felt that a piece of himself was missing too. _

_And yet, Tenseiga still refused to obey his will._

_The fang of life would only give the dead one chance. And Rin had hers. _

_She pulled him tighter to her, pressing her face into his back allowing the silk of his shirt to soak up her tears. _

_He wouldn't cry, would never show any outward emotion. So she would cry for him, giving him the outlet he needed to move on. _

_Hearing the sound of the fang slip into the sheath, she knew he had given up, had realized there was nothing more he could do for her, other than pay her the respect she deserved, and she released herself from him for one brief moment has he moved to pick up the child. _

_In one arm, he carried her, straight, tall and proud, as he made his way through the carnage. She followed him, remaining one step behind at all times, vowing this is where her place will be._

_This way, if he falls, she would be there to catch him._

* * *

Who would catch her, she wondered as she wandered aimlessly throughout the house. Despite her dire need for fresh air, she didn't dare venture outside. Their safety was compromised and she didn't know how much time they would have left before Osamu's forced marched full throttle onto Inuyasha's land, disturbing the peace he had worked so hard to build over the years.

She couldn't allow that. It was time, she knew, to return home, to face the dangers head on and overcome them with her own strength.

Their strength.

There was no doubt Satoru would want to join her, and she would have Sesshoumaru at her side again. With him there, she knew she could fight anything.

It never ceased to amaze her sometimes how her whole life could change in one night. One talk under the stars which revealed so much to her, and caused so much strife between the brothers. One night in the palace as he sent her to new heights she had never seen before. One night as she nearly escaped the flames that were closing into her. One night as she lay covered in sweat, nursing the babe in her arms. One night as she grieved for the boy who had now lost his innocence.

Turning to her room she began to pack her bag, selecting the few items she had collected over the years she had treasured, most of them gifts from her son. The fancy kimonos, silk yukatas, and jeweled hairpieces meant nothing to her, and if all went well, she would retrieve them at a later time. If things went sour, well, Cho would have a few mementos to remember her by.

Osamu would pay dearly for the hurt he had caused her family, as she would no longer sit idly by and see everything she had worked so hard for over the years fall apart. Having Sesshoumaru around constantly, she had forgotten what it was like to fight for something you wanted, something you truly believed in. Training with Inuyasha had been liberating as she discovered her own strengths again, and built upon them. While she would never be as good a warrior as Sango, she would be able to hold her own against any youkai who came against her.

And those youkai had better watch out, she was a woman on a mission, and she would cut down any that got in her way.

Arms slipped around her suddenly and she jumped, before relaxing as she saw the striped wrists holding her abdomen, and felt his chin rest upon her crown. "You heard," she whispered, as she led him to the bed to sit.

"Inuyasha had sent a message as soon as it happened. Despite that, I knew they would eventually find you. I've had that area monitored in the last few years. We were lucky they waited as long as they had."

"You never met her," she turned to him, to look him in the eyes. "Satoru was going to take her as a mate. He had spoken with her parents earlier tonight."

Pulling her close, he inhaled her scent. "Her parents weren't to be trusted. They were the reason the spies had managed to find him today." She stiffened as she recognized the implications of what he was saying. "We have had them under our watch as well, and while the girl was clean, her parents had sent a message to Osamu as early as last week. His planned visit tonight was a trap. I could only hope they have learned from their foolishness."

"They hurt him," she nearly growled her displeasure, and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she wanted blood. She wanted their blood, wanted them to know and understand the pain her son was going through because of their treachery.

"Don't tell him," she pleaded as she fought to calm herself down. "It'll only hurt him more, and he's already hurting so much." Pushing her face into his shoulder, she could feel the tears coming again. "He wouldn't let me near him to help."

"He must do this on his own. He will let you in soon enough."

Arms tightening around her, she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Her neck was stiff as she shut her eyes to the early morning light. Despite the steady ache, she wouldn't have traded her 'pillow' for anything in the world. The one night she didn't want to be alone, she wasn't. He had come and held her, and kept the nightmares at bay.

"He's returning," he whispered as he nudged her awake. "He will need you now."

She didn't move from her place on the bed as her shoji door opened. If Satoru was surprised to see his father there, he didn't show it.

Pewter hair a mess, eyes red with grief and exhaustion, and his clothing covered blood, he walked in, his determination screaming out to her with every step.

"I want to fight."

She would not stop him, knowing he needed this to move forward with his life. Her little boy was gone. Standing before her was a man. Looking to Sesshoumaru, she saw him nod, proud, regal, a slight incline of the head. It was enough.

A moment later Satoru had collapsed against her, and let go.

* * *

AN

all right, and the angst continues! Don't worry, there's more wicked grin.

Those of you reading Mirrored Pasts, it will not be out this weekend. I apologize but life is being unfair to me and when I have time to write it, I'm not in the right state of mind to write what I need to. I have started the next chapter, but I'm not happy with it. I won't be focused on it tonight either, am exhausted, read two books for research in 24 hours…that's too much brainwork for me.

I do have a new series out. It's a series of interrelated drabbles and one shots from the LJ community IY no Kakera. It's called Candidacy and it has two chapters up right now, but a combo of 7 drabbles posted. It's AU and it looks like it'll be a fun ride. I'm having fun with it anyway. IY no Kakera is an LJ community where I'm given 100 prompts and challenged to write 100 stories based on these prompts. I'm going to try and work if not all, then most, throughout these series :) these can be found on ASS and but certainly most importantly, thank you everybody for your wonderful reviews, they made me laugh, and smile, and giggle with glee as you all got frustrated with the turn of events. I promise you'll enjoy the rest of the ride this story offers

Happy weekend!

Disclaimer: See chapter 1


	10. Chapter 10

It was familiar, yet it wasn't, she thought as she looked upon the walls of the chamber she once shared with Sesshoumaru. The little feminine touches she had added since their mating still remained, but they were covered with dust, and much of them had started to yellow with age. A sure sign he hadn't meant for the war to last as long as it did. It had been so long since she stepped into this room, it felt foreign, she felt like she was out of place. The extravagance of this place was overwhelming.

And so were the memories of the good times before evil had decided to come knocking upon their door one more time. One quick glance at the futon had told her though that her mate hadn't stepped foot in here either since before she left. To think he calls others sentimental fools. There were little reminders of the war being fought outside the palace doors now, as many of the walls were cracked, windows broken, and paint chipped. Those who thought to capture Lord Sesshoumaru by invading his chamber had obviously underestimated the power of his sentiment. As he had told her upon their arrival, he refused to sleep in there without her, as the chamber belonged to them both.

"I hadn't a chance to inform anybody of our arrival," she turned to see him walk in the door. "A few more hours and the room will be habitable once again." She watched him eye the scorch marks burned into the wood on the ground, and shuddered. Nearly twenty years later and the nightmares still came, filling her with fear, causing her to momentarily doubt her relationship with her mate.

"I don't want to stay in this room," she blurted without thinking, eyes never leaving wood

_She lay on her back on the bedroom floor, panting from the exertion she exhibited only moments ago, the fire youkai circling around her. Every muscle in her body ached as she struggled to maintain the small barrier. But every time he would strike it would grow weaker. _

_She screamed in agony as she felt the heat from the flame seep through._

"_That's right, scream bitch," his red eyes bore deep into hers as he intensified the attack, flames surrounding the barrier on all sides, parts of the barrier burning away. _

The scorched floor, he mused, didn't affect just her. They served as a reminder to him as well, not so much of the terror she went through that night, but a reminder of what he could have lost. A reminder to better protect what belonged to him. He may not have slept in the room during her absence, but he came to visit often, to remind him just what he was fighting for and how it all began.

"We can find another room," he murmured as he led her away from the door. "There are plenty available." But he wouldn't close this one off. He would visit again, everyday to tell him that what he had was worth fighting for, and to tell him that she wasn't invincible. She was human, fragile, and she needed him.

"Thank you." Her voice remained quiet, flat, but her eyes held all the gratitude she could muster. She was as affected as he by the years apart, straining their relationship. One night, one week, they could handle, in a place that wasn't touched by war, where they could leave their baggage behind and just be with each other.

It was different now. She had returned home, become the lady of the west again. Her demeanor screamed of the change in the change in her, and for just a moment, he wished he could turn back the clock, inform Inuyasha of the impending deceit and protect her from the hurt. She had changed irrevocably. He prayed her trust in him was still solid, strong. She would need it to survive and to flourish in a land filled with strife. Taking her by the hand he opened the door across the hall to the room he occupied without her. Sparsely furnished, he knew it would have to do.

"You were meant to be here," he whispered as he closed the shoji behind him. "You were always meant to stand next to me here, fight with me, love me. You were meant to be who you are today, and what you've been through is testament to your strength and worthiness of the title Lady of the West."

"There's been so much hurt," she whispered back to him as she curled next to him on the futon, grabbing hold of his strength and love.

"The hurt is a part of it, it helps us to grow and learn from it."

"I only wish…" she trailed off as she lay her head on his shoulder.

She wished for harmony, for an easy life for Satoru, for a happily ever after for him, everything every mother wished for their child, he knew. His own thoughts echoed much of her own. He had missed watching Satoru grow up, yet he couldn't have been more proud as a father, and the man Satoru was today was a tribute to the woman who had raised him. Satoru's human side wouldn't allow him to remain alone. There would be another out there for him, another to give him everything his mother dreamed for him. Everything he already had himself.

No, with his mother's passion, he would find somebody.

"When this is done, we can return to the way things used to be," he nuzzled her.

"Things ever won't be the same. Satoru will have his lessons, he'll have to prove himself. And we'll always have the reminder of what could happen."

No, things wouldn't be the same. There was a rift between them now he couldn't begin to describe, and a light in her eyes that had dimmed, as if she were losing faith in the world around her. Maybe she was, and maybe he was too. He was beginning to tire of the game, the constant battles, plotting and strategy, and mostly tired of the nights he had to stay away from his mate. In protecting the one being he cherished above all others, he had to push her away. It played havoc on his instincts.

But there was something he could do to help bring it back, bring back her light, make her truly shine once more.

"Well then," he compromised. "We build upon what we have. We'll start from the bottom up. We already have each other, and we have Satoru. Why can't we have more?

* * *

_Spinning in circles she looked up at the sky, allowing the sun to warm her over. Giddy wasn't a strong enough word to describe how she felt at this very moment. She was cherished, loved, held in respect by many who knew her, and pregnant._

_That was probably the best of all. Pregnant. After it seemed like she would never be able to have a child, the kamis above decided to bless her and her mate. Perhaps now the populace would begin to settle down, knowing that a possible heir was on the way. Stopping her spinning, she lay back on the grass to look at the sky, painting pictures on the clouds. _

_Pregnant._

_She was still having trouble wrapping her head about it, and she wondered if Sesshoumaru knew as well? He must have been able to smell the change in her, as he was usually perceptive to any changes that went on in her body. Giggling, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her abdomen. A little version of him, or her, or maybe it would be of the both of them, his hair and eyes, as she loved both those features on him, and her passion for life, her willingness to learn about everything around her. _

_Perhaps, she would have the little girl she always wanted, a miniature version of her, except for her penchant of mischief making. Sobering up for a moment, she thought of Rin, and the piece of Sesshoumaru's heart that had remained empty since her passing. This child could heal that, fill that hole with so much love, almost like a second chance to make things right. _

_There were so many possibilities, and they seemed endless as she thought of her discovery early this morning when counting back the days. _

"_If you're tired, you should be in bed, not the grass."_

_She cracked an eye open to see her mate standing above her, one eyebrow raised as if asking her what she was doing. "I'm thinking."_

"_About bed?" He took a seat behind her, lifting her head onto his lap. _

"_About possibilities."_

"_Hn."_

"_Would you prefer a boy or a girl?" she asked coyly as she kept her hands covering her abdomen, and the man didn't miss a beat. _

"_Either or. I need an heir but there's still time."_

"_What if I could give you a possible heir in nine months?" She smiled, testing the waters._

_But the words didn't phase him. "Seven. You are carrying a hanyou, not a human. The developmental period will be different."_

"_Jerk."_

* * *

_The pain rolled off her in waves as she lay on the floor in the corner of the room, screaming in agony. It was too soon to be feeling this pain, entirely too soon, but she clutched her abdomen as the pain spiked again. Her legs were sticky with blood and there was nothing she could do._

_Her mate held her, she could see the worry in his eyes, and the sadness._

_They mirrored her own. She turned into his shoulder, her tears soaking his shirt again as he rubbed his hands up and down her back, attempting to sooth that couldn't be soothed. _

"_My lady." She could hear the healer, but didn't turn to look at her. She didn't want to see her. She didn't want to see anybody right now except her mate. She clung to him as if she were clinging to the last vestiges of her sanity. _

"_Go away," she screamed, clenching as she felt more of the blood seep through her. "Everybody go away."_

_The look from Sesshoumaru must have done the trick as she heard the scuttle of scattering footsteps. She laughed humourlessly. He always knew how to scare people into doing what he wanted. _

"_Kagome?" he pulled her closer, running his claws through her hair._

"_I don't want to talk right now," she whispered as she clung to him. "Not right now."_

_Her baby._

_She was running out of tears to cry. Her pride and joy was gone before it even took its first breath._

* * *

_For three days she remained in bed, not wanting to put a strain on her body. Unlike last time. This time she was determined. This time everything was going to work out because she willed it so. It took fifty years to get to this point again. Fighting everyday for fifty years for the one thing she wanted in her life desperately. She would not rob herself of this. She would not rob her mate of this._

"_Everything is fine," her mate reassured as he tried to pull her from the bed. "There is no sickness in you."_

"_There was no sickness last time, and look what happened," she argued stubbornly. _

"_You also know that you can't predict these things," he pointed out, remembering a passage from one of her books. "The last time was not meant to happen. This time it will. We will be ready this time."_

"_How do you know? How do you know everything will be okay this time? Anything could happen."_

"_Yes, and nothing could happen," he countered. "You will not stay in bed all day again. You will go about your day as usual. Everything will be fine."_

"_Because the mighty Sesshoumaru wills it so," she mocked, full of sarcasm._

"_Because I will it so," he confirmed unfazed._

_She looked at him, seeing the quiet confidence in his eyes, the way he stood proud, regardless of whether or not she was leaving. "There's no sickness?"_

"_None. It is strong and healthy, as you are."_

_She smiled her first smile since her discovery. "I'm going to have a baby," and she leapt into his arms. "We're going to have a baby."_

* * *

More. The word echoed through her head as she contemplated his suggestion. They could have more, what was stopping her from having more? Satoru had grown up, and while he would always be her little boy, it was his time to stand proudly next to his father. There was nothing more she could do.

But she could have a second, perhaps a little girl to love and spoil, a little girl to mirror after herself. To go out and plant flowers with, to teach to read, and write, and love literature as much as she and her father did.

And to watch Sesshoumaru raise their little girl, something in her broke. She missed seeing him with Satoru, but now he could have the chance to be the father she knew he would be. "More," she repeated quietly. "I would like that."

* * *

AN

A little hope in an otherwise dark time. But the angst continues.

Thank you so much for your reviews, I cherish each and every one. Three more chapters after this. Keeping on schedule, we'll be done not this Friday, but next Friday :)

Disclaimer: See Chapter One


	11. Chapter 11

The war room.

It was a room she had steadfastly avoided the past century, walking by its doors several times, but never taking the time to peak in. Times were peaceful, there was never any need. And now, she stood at the head of the table with her mate and her son as they listened to the general. Osamu was growing more powerful each day as he recruited new youkai to the cause, and in some cases, humans.

Was he even aware as to why they were fighting to begin with? She was sure the original reason got lost somewhere in between the bloodlust, violence and gore.

Her mate looked tired though. He looked as if he couldn't handle seeing another map, which showed his borders pushed back yet again. He looked as if he couldn't hear one more story of a fallen youkai in his regime. Despite his constantly aloof facade, Sesshoumaru cared. They were his people, his followers and he cared if he lost them in a battle they were willing to fight for him.

She noticed the book off to the side on the table, and would periodically see him writing a name in it or two, as he listened to each general tell their tale.

Akihiro.

Goro.

Kaemon.

Yoshio.

Ryota.

Eyes widening just a touch, it dawned on her why as to why he was writing down the names the generals were giving him. A book of the dead. A way to immortalize those who gave up their lives for his cause: for her.

This was the first such book she had ever seen, having spent years reading the books and scrolls found in his library. Lifting her hand, she reverently placed it on the open pages of the book, not recognizing any of the names listed. Was it because she had never met them? Or were they young and had only reached battle age while she was at Inuyasha's? Saddened for just a moment, she wished, hoped it wasn't the latter. She didn't know if she could bear it if it was.

Looking to her mate, she saw him eye her hand on the pages, saw his own hand twitch as if he wanted to reach out and offer her support. Smiling, she shook her head. She was here now as support for him. And while he fought her war, she would stand by his side and continue to support him.

And she would honour those who died in her name.

* * *

_The combined fragrances of the flowers permeated the air, making her smile with each breath she took. Brilliant reds, vibrant pinks, golden yellows and deep purples were spread out before her, all laying on a bed of greens. She would have been happy here. Rin would never have wanted to leave the garden. _

_The flowers would have been woven together, turned into crowns and necklaces, pined to shirts like little boutonnières. Petals would have made their way into the waters of the hot springs, mixing with the young girl's natural scent. _

_She could see vases of flowers throughout the palace, various bouquets she would have picked, taking her time considering each flower before she added it to the bunch. And the one flower she would have considered above all others, spent the most time searching for, to give to her Sesshoumaru-sama. _

_And she knew he would have accepted the flower without a word, and it would lay on the desk in his study, or placed between the pages of a heavy book so it could be preserved for all times. Such was the subtle love of her Sesshoumaru-sama, who though he wouldn't admit it, had considered her a daughter. _

_The stoic demon lord who had hated humans due to the sins of his father, had in life learned to love not one, but two._

_Two years of digging in the dirt, planting the seeds, watering the little plants had paid off. The nights she would come in late, exhausted, after toiling all day to get the layout just right, to build the small, picket fence surrounding it, the bridge that went through it, and finally hanging the plaque she had commissioned in the little girl's honour often made her wonder why she was doing this when she knew he would never forget her. _

_But the look in his eyes when he saw the finished product, the way he gazed lovingly at the plaque made it all worth it._

He had held her and for the first time she could ever remember, the way he had wept had told her the long hours she spent on this project weren't for naught. It was perhaps the best gift she could have ever given him. 

_Long hours were spent under the large tree in the middle of the garden, as he told her stories of Rin from long before she ever met the bright girl, the way she would always chase after Jaken with the flowers, or her unequivocal faith in him, even when he lead her into danger. _

_It was a testament to her strength and his love that a seven year old could survive and thrive under the tutelage of a human-hating demon. He was more like his father than he allowed himself to admit._

_Other nights they lay in the garden in companionable silence, when they needed a refuge from the day to day life of being lord and lady of the west. It brought him back to simpler days, and it showed her a side of him she had never seen before. _

_The garden had become a blessing, giving her back the part of the youkai she had lost the day Naraku decided the little human girl had become dispensable._

* * *

She watched in shock as the war room doors were pushed open with a force that sent them crashing against the wall, and bouncing back to their original position. Why she was so surprised, she had no clue as she began to giggle upon seeing Inuyasha standing in the doorway as if he had every right to be there. Typical Inuyasha, she mused. There wasn't a single person on this earthly plane who could move him once he decided on a course of action.

"Bastard," he greeted his brother before standing next to Satoru. "If you think I'm going to let you undo all the hard work I've done to train Satoru by letting him fight without me there to observe, then you've got less brains than I thought."

Translation, she nearly laughed, it was his battle too and he would be there to fight it until the bitter end. And Cho, she knew, was probably floating around the castle somewhere, no doubt disturbing the kitchen staff. The woman took great pride in her cooking.

Sesshoumaru merely nodded before turning back to his generals as they continued to study the maps and develop a plan of attack. Osamu's forces were strong, much stronger than his own these days, and the weaponry had changed over the years, turning in the southern lord's favour as his followers developed new powers.

But Osamu didn't have several things, she knew. First and foremost: love. He didn't have anybody to fight for, anybody to protect as his devotion for his own mate would only take him so far. Sesshoumaru had her, and he had his son, and the three of them working together would be a force to be reckoned with. And Inuyasha who believed he had years of neglect and hurt to make up for.

Satoru alone had his own motives, wishing to cut down Osamu for being the root cause of a loss it would take him years to overcome.

And herself? She would fight to protect those she cherished, and she would fight in honour of those who fought for her.

* * *

"Tomorrow night," Sesshoumaru announced to the Generals sitting around the table as the agreed upon course of action was finalized. "Tonight we rest, we gather those we need and we prepare. Tomorrow night we move in."

How had she missed the final decision, she wondered, as she continued to stand behind her mate, son and friend. Her mate's eyes narrowed on those in the room, burning into one general before moving to the next and so on and so forth.

Traitors, she shuddered.

There was an underlying current of deceit in the room that even she, a human with simple instincts, was able to detect. She kept her eyes on her mate as he gauged each person in the room, before dismissing them all. She breathed a sigh of relief as all but Satoru and Inuyasha left. Whatever she had sensed earlier was gone, but she was disappointed that she hadn't been able to point out the youkai who could inevitably cause their downfall.

"Sesshoumaru?" She placed her hands on his shoulders as he continued to stare at the map.

"I know."

"What are you going to do?"

Rearranging the figures on the map, he turned to Satoru. "What did you observe?"

Giving his father a blank look he turned to the map. "I can't describe it, but something isn't right."

"You'll have to do better."

Her son glanced thoughtfully at the map before it dawn on him. "Trust."

"Or?"

"Lack thereof."

Her mate nodded his head before gesturing to the figures. "You will come to learn that even in your inner most council there are those you can trust, and those you can't. It's up to you if you consider it an advantage or a disadvantage." There were three lone figures off to the side.

"An advantage, use them as a diversion," Satoru guessed. "The Generals will fight here, and because of the one traitor, Osamu's forces will expect it and therefore concentrate there, giving us," he glanced at his father, challenging him to deny the claim, "giving us the freedom we need to move around them and to Osamu."

"We'll use the cover of darkness to move, but we have to move swiftly and quietly. There cannot be a moment's hesitation." He glared darkly at the figures on the map, a deathly gleam darkening his amber eyes. "It ends tomorrow."

* * *

Sweat-slicked bodies pushed against each other as they both struggled for dominance, and submissiveness. Dominant enough to take what each wanted and needed, and submissive enough to give to the other. There was a desperation neither had felt for a long time that caused each to reach out, touch, stroke, caress the other, tell each other how they felt through their actions, instead of words.

Tomorrow would determine their future as nearly twenty years of constant strife came to a head.

But tonight they had only each other, having long since left the halls for the privacy of their chamber.

There was no urgency tonight as they took their time exploring each other, tasting the saltiness of his skin, relishing the softness of hers. His hands moved her as if she were a delicate instrument, meant to be savoured, as he embraced her and played until she could do nothing but sing.

The feel of his hard muscles was only enhanced by the smoothness of his skin, and she delighted in the sight of his abs clenching and rippling when she ran her fingers over it lightly. A contented growl filled the room as she grew bolder in her efforts, reacquainting herself with him as the years apart seemed to fade away. It was like she had never left and the only thing that mattered at this single moment were the two of them.

Everything else, the worries, the tension, the loneliness, the sense of loss were stripped from them as he gathered and held her close, the sound of his heartbeat permeating the stillness of the night around them as the sound of hers filled him with a sense of awe and joy that managed to reach the deepest depths of his once cold heart.

Unwilling to let her go for even one moment he guided her; heart, mind, body and soul and led her in a dance as powerful and strong as the very foundation their existence was based upon. Together they shattered, welcoming the great bursts of white light that warmed them from the inside out, before falling contentedly into each other one final time, welcoming the gentle silence that came with it.

Tonight was theirs, tomorrow they would deal with everything else.

* * *

AN

Oh we're getting there, we're getting there! Next chapter you get to meet Osamu and he has to be my favourite baddy I've ever written :)

Thanks for all of your reviews. They mean so much to me.

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	12. Chapter 12

_The rain poured down in droves sending a chill through her bone. But she didn't shiver, she didn't move, she didn't make a sound. Her clothing stuck to her like a second skin, becoming restrictive, yet she paid it no mind._

_The time had come for her to face her destiny, complete the near impossible task that was given to her at the tender age of fifteen, and prove to the world that a simple girl could indeed save it. _

_The ground surrounding them was covered in the carnage of the previous battle, as they each fought demon after demon to make their way to the prize, Miroku's wind tunnel was getting quite the work out as he struggled to avoid the Saimyoushou Naraku had released into the swarm. She could see him out of the corner of her eye, pale, sweaty, barely holding himself up, but he would not give up and despite the poison coursing through his body, he stood with her, ready to support her in whatever way he could._

_And Sango. She breathed heavily from swinging the hiraikotsu over and over again as she eliminated dozens of demons in one blow. She stood next to Miroku, holding him up and placing all of her faith her as well._

_Her greatest joy this day was little Shippo, who despite his size fought with all his might, using his foxfire and other tricks of the trade he had learned during his travels with them. _

_Perhaps her biggest surprise was Inuyasha, who until this point had been very bitter and hostile toward her. Yet today he was her second strongest supporter as he barked orders at her and praised her for a job well done. His confidence in her abilities only fueled her own strength and faith in herself, giving her the ability to act without feeling like she was a burden, not an asset._

_And her biggest supporter, she couldn't even begin to describe his actions on this day, but she knew he fought for a tomorrow with her._

_The future was hers – theirs. She felt the solid hand on her shoulder and saw the familiar stripes and claws that would hold her in comfort and adoration one minute, and strike down an enemy with merciless intent the next. _

_Looking up, gold eyes bore into her own, giving her the confidence, the strength, the passion she needed to move forward, and setting a fire through her blood dissipating the chill of the night._

_Failure did not cross her mind once. _

_She would succeed. She was going to take back what belonged to her. The dark hanyou's time was ending; theirs would begin. With this in mind, the world around her disappeared and she moved forward._

_The time was now._

* * *

The dark palace loomed ahead on the horizon, the black of the stones sending a chill through her. Her battle with Naraku she knew would be a cake walk compared to what was upcoming, and still, she wouldn't be anywhere except by her lord's side. Having spent the last several years training, she had felt confident in her skills until now.

The basilisk youkai had always made her nervous, from the first time he laid his eyes on her to openly assess Sesshoumaru's choice in mate. The hate, she remembered, the hate in his eyes reverberated through her and she had vowed never to remain in his presence without her mate nearby. He would have struck her down right there, she knew, if given the chance.

'An animal , that will not suffer itself to be touch'd by a Man', she mused as she thought of the words of Voltaire taught to her when she still attended school. Truer words were probably never spoken as she spent the majority of the time several feet away from him. The glares alone she received if she were caught looking at him instead of remaining downcast were enough to make her whither and shrivel away into nothingness.

And today she would need to stand against him and truly fight, knowing her life, and the life of her mate and son were on the line. The basilisk would not take the intrusion lightly, she knew, and would likely retaliate using the full force of his power. She didn't know how much of it her mate and son could stand up to, especially as a large part of the old alliance was based on their combined strength.

Sesshoumaru reached for her hand as they moved forward, knowing they needed to keep moving if they didn't want to get caught a head of time. Time was not on their side as it would only be a matter of time before Sesshoumaru's army realized their lord wasn't with them, and neither was their lord's son.

"Don't look him in the eyes," she had been instructed earlier. "No matter what happens, where he is, where we are and what is going on in the surrounding areas. Do not look him in the eyes." The strength of the desperation in her mates voice when he made that demand of forced her to nod in the affirmative right away, without questioning why. She trusted Sesshoumaru with her life. If he told her not to look at Osamu directly, then that was what she would do.

"It's too fucking quiet around here," Inuyasha whispered as they made their way through the foliage of the forest, cutting the occasional branch down as the trees became dense. "It's almost as if the bastard's expecting us."

She stopped suddenly when her mate dropped her hand and leapt to the trees, his own hand glowing a sickly green. The _dokkaso_, she shuddered as the acidic smell reached her nose. She was thankful that one trait had not been given to Satoru as the sight of it alone nearly made her fall to her knees. Her own memories of it weren't fond ones and while she had refused to admit it to Inuyasha at the time, she had suffered from nightmares from the experience for several weeks afterward, and they would occasionally reoccur every time they fought battle with the demon lord.

"Lookout guard," he murmured as he fell to her side again. Nodding, they continued to move closer to the castle.

"How much longer until somebody realizes he's not around?"

Sesshoumaru glanced back at the trees, nearly smiling at the sight of the remains of youkai. "Could be a matter of minutes or hours, I don't know. What I do know is he didn't hear us coming so he couldn't inform anybody we are on our way." Glancing at the two behind him, he spoke again. "From here on out total silence. I don't want anything to catch our trail."

* * *

The oracle glowed brightly in the dark room, casting a silver-white glow. His long black talons rested on its side as he smiled with malicious intent.

They were coming ever closer. For twenty years he had bided his time, waiting for the moment they would show on his doorstep, and it looked like that time was now. Sesshoumaru was a fool to have thought he could slip in quietly, and he looked forward to the moment he could slice the priestess' throat in front of him, right after slicing his son's.

Oh yes, he wanted to see the western lord's face as he took away everything he held dear. The human mate had become a weak link in the council of lords, a way for humanity to have some influence in the matters of youkai. While she had never spoken at a gathering, he could see the look of disapproval that would occasionally cross her face during certain topics, such as the mass slaughter of the human race to ensure the survival of the youkai. Even he was willing to admit their strength were growing as their numbers were growing, and the stench that would encroach on his land was more than he could bear at times.

Gone were the days where the youkai reigned supreme, when he would fight along side the Inu no Taisho to guard their borders and waive off threats. The days of glory were filled with the blood of others as his army crushed them, feast upon by those who considered human meat a delicacy. They ended the day the general took a human of his own. He never would have believed the son would commit the sins of the father when he had resigned the treaty.

If he had known, war would have been declared long ago, back when the pup never stood a chance.

Letting the oracle dim, he spun and turned toward his rooms, midnight robes flowing behind him as he moved. He had the castle emptied of his soldiers and followers, wishing to savour the enjoyment of their death on his own. On his wall stood his pride and joy, a katana handed down to him by his own father, infused with his poison, fatal upon contact. Removing the robes, he slipped into something more appropriate for battle.

Oh yes, he thought, now was the time he would meet his destiny, destroy the west and eventually take his rightful place as the head of all of Japan.

And tonight he would drink the blood of the miko and toast his success.

* * *

The cold, wet stone of the wall was pressed against her as she tried to stay in the shadows. The silence was deafening as she struggled to grasp her bearings. Not once during the alliance between the two lords had she ever stepped foot in the building, and she knew Sesshoumaru had only out of necessity. He was never a strong supporter of Osamu, yet in his way, he was a supporter of peace, the reason behind the continued alliance.

There were so many sides to him she would have never figured out if she stuck by Inuyasha's side like she had initially promised. And so little of her first impressions were true. Tensing, she watched as his hand slid to Tenseiga, and she found hers doing the same as her fingers gripped the leather hilt of her own blade.

Don't look in his eyes.

Don't touch him.

Don't allow him to touch you.

The instructions repeated themselves in her head over and over. She was not going to die today, she told herself. She was not going to let any of her family succumb to the evils of Osamu. She had faced off against Naraku when all the odds were against her, and she came out victorious. There was no reason the same couldn't happen tonight. Not when she had her family at her side.

The darkness of the room threw her off for all of thirty seconds before her eyes were able to adjust and she noticed the figure standing on the other side. Her mate's eyes were narrowed on him, hardened and she knew he was contemplating his death. Quick and easy or slow and painful.

The male on the other side smirked as he took several steps forward. She had forgotten how devilishly handsome he could look, with his black hair falling down his back in spikes, lean muscular physique, and his eyes…she quickly lowered hers before she caught glimpse of them and landed on his long talons. She shuddered as she imagined the damage they could cause.

Osamu.

It may have been years since she last saw him but she recognized the malicious smile on his face.

He had already assumed he won. She would show him wrong.

"Lord Sesshoumaru," he inclined his head slightly before glancing at the others. "You'll forgive me if I don't address your mate and son. Their blood isn't worthy of my attention," he sneered.

"Do not presume to speak ill of my pack when there is so much dissent and hatred in yours. If any blood is unworthy, it is your own," her mate snarled.

"My blood is as pure as any, Inu." The basilisk youkai unsheathed his blade and stepped forward. "It is you who threatened to taint the youkai line."

The two circled around each other, neither wanting to take the first step. In morbid fascination, she watched the talons grip his blade, saw the way they punctured the well-worn leather of the hilt. She shuddered, dangerous, was the only thing going through her head at the moment. Her reiki crackled as a wave of youki washed over her, an odd mix of both her mate's and Osamu's. One gave her strength, the other nearly knocked her to her knees. She couldn't recall a time when Sesshoumaru had found himself facing a more formidable foe.

"Your pup will never be able to rule the lands," Osamu continued to taunt. "He isn't strong enough."

Charging Tenseiga with energy Sesshoumaru took another step forward. She could see his eyes scanning for an opening. He would not make a useless strike. "He is stronger than you."

He found his chance as Osamu glanced toward her and Satoru and charged ahead, Tenseiga forward. She closed her eyes briefly as she heard the blades clash together, in the dark, and grimaced as she saw her mate's determination to break through Osamu's defences. Osamu lifted his other hand and swung his claws toward Sesshoumaru, barely missing him as he jumped back, breathing hard before lunging at the basilisk again.

"Neither of you are worthy," the basilisk gritted out before swinging. "I didn't live a thousand years to watch the youkai nation fall to a hanyou."

The golden wave of Inuyasha's wind scar combined with the silver light of Satoru's fang barely missed as Osamu jumped out of the way. He backed off before glancing at Satoru. Looking at her son she could see the steady tick under this eye as he began to lose patience. In many ways he did take after his uncle.

"Your hanyou doesn't even know when he's being deceived," Osamu continued to taunt. "Have you told him yet?" he asked her mate before turning back to her son. "I can see you haven't. Go ahead," he addressed Satoru. "Ask your father how we knew you would be visiting your mate's parents that night?"

The crash of the dragon strike echoed through the room as Sesshoumaru lunged at his prey again, once again narrowly avoiding his claws.

Don't let him touch you, she prayed as she stepped forward, preparing to step into the fray.

"He didn't tell you that you were set up, did he?" Osamu swung back at Sesshoumaru, deflecting the blow of the sword. "He didn't tell you we had your girl's parents in our pockets, such loyal youkai," he mused.

The twitching in Satoru's jaw became noticeably worse and she could see the grief pouring through his golden eyes as the basilisk's words hit home. "Satoru," she finally spoke up, as she could feel the rage building up in him.

"Lies," he mumbled as he lifted the fang again, sending another wave of silver light toward the youkai.

"The truth," he spat out. "They had been watching you for years. Oh yes, we knew where you were the whole time. Oh they didn't want to, but the right incentive could convince anybody to do what you want."

"Lies," Satoru screamed as he charged at the youkai blindly, his grief and rage taking over causing him to loose control. Swinging wildly, he wasn't paying attention to any of the lessons his father and uncle had taught him, it caused her heart to catch in her throat. Talons narrowly missing him, Satoru looked up and met black eyes.

She screamed, "Satoru!"

* * *

AN

A day early since there's no Mirrored Pasts this week. See you on Friday!

Disclaimer: See Chap 1


	13. Chapter 13

Extreme fear.

Tears poured down her face as she looked into the lifeless eyes of her son and saw the fear permanently etched them.

True fear of the basilisk, probably its greatest weapon.

'Don't look into its eyes.'

He had done the unthinkable, ignoring her mate's orders, more so, his lord's orders in a battle when the order was meant to keep him safe. The grief, she knew was too fresh, too real for him to have behaved rationally, and yet, she would not have stopped him from being here. It was his right.

But why did he look into the eyes? She stood stricken, unmoving, unfeeling, not watching the battle continuing around her as Sesshoumaru released his full fury upon the basilisk youkai. Her son was gone.

Her son was gone.

Bit by bit she started to break, her heart first as it clenched and tightened in her chest, her stomach rolled and she nearly fell to the ground she felt so sick, so weak.

Her baby.

"_He's perfect." She ran her hand through the soft, downy hair. "It's almost pewter, isn't it?"_

"_I picked these for you." He held up a bouquet of random wildflowers that looked like they were hastily gathered._

"_Guess what, chichi-ue's going to take me hunting so we can bring home dinner," his golden eyes were so bright she thought they'd blind her. It made her own start to tear up in true happiness. "He says we'll probably catch a rabbit, but we could get lucky and find something bigger, like a boar."_

"_When do you think I'll be ready to fight alongside father?"_

"_If I can help father during the war, then maybe it'll end sooner, you two could be together again."_

_Satoru's hands ran lovingly over the blade as Sesshoumaru presented him with his fang._

_Satoru in love._

The images flashed before her eyes, her little boy with soft pewter hair and eyes as golden as the sun, and as expressive as her own. The one who used to bring her flowers and whose hugs could brighten even the worst of days. The young man she had become so proud of as he became more and more like this father.

Something snapped in her as she pulled herself away from and lifted her bow, aiming her arrow. There was time to grieve and mourn later. But right now, she would deal with Osamu. And he wouldn't know what hit him.

Watching Sesshoumaru lunge out of the way of the swinging sword, she sent her arrow flying, straight and true and watched the brilliant pink light explode as it clashed against the venomous blade. Pink mixed with black as her reiki fought with the youki, with the deadly poison, before shattering the katana into a thousand small pieces.

"You bitch," Osamu snarled before turning on her, anger prominently displayed on his face, and she was sure, his eyes, although hers continued to remain downcast from them. Instead, she focused on his hands, and the way his lip curled over his teeth, showing off his poison-dripping fangs. "You will die tonight, just as your son did."

"I don't think so," she snarled back as she approached Sesshoumaru to stand by his side against the basilisk. "If anybody dies, it'll be you for what you've done to us." Circling around each other, neither made the first move, but her reiki crackled as it met Osamu's youki, their two forces battling for dominance. "You don't get it Osamu," she spat at his name, offering up the insult. "You killed my son. I have nothing left to lose."

"You have your mate. I could kill him where he stands with one look."

"Fool us once, shame on you," she quoted. "Fool us twice shame on us. Satoru may have fallen to that fate, but I can assure you Sesshoumaru won't make the same mistake. Look at him, youkai," this time not deigning to address him by his name. "Look at him and tell me if he fears death."

His snarl grew more fearsome, but this time she knew it wasn't meant to cause her fear, but instead meant to hide his. Recklessly he swung at her, his talons coming within an inch of her as she deftly deflected them with her own blade, causing him to howl as the katana easily sliced through the flesh and bone of his thumb. Black blood dripped to the floor at his feet, she noted with satisfaction.

As his howl died out, he began to laugh. "Foolish wench. You can't defeat me by any typical means. I may have lost a thumb today, but you will lose a lot more if you continue with these childish games."

"You will learn that I am by no means typical. I am Kagome. Once I guarded the Shikon jewel. Naraku died at my hands. Do not underestimate my power." She moved aside quickly as she saw the combined attack of Tessaiga and Tenseiga head toward him.

The full blast of the attack hit him with a deadly force and she held her shock in check as he stood on the receiving end, laughing as the blue and yellow light surrounded him. "Do not underestimate my power," he stated proudly, the attack doing nothing to weaken him.

Basilisk. In the moment she had before he would emerge, she thought back to everything she knew about the creatures. Their eyes. Their biggest strength and their biggest weakness lay in their eyes. Eyes that killed Satoru, she thought with a deadly calm. The eyes that killed her son. Glancing at her mate she called to Inuyasha, hoping her mate would catch on. "One more time Inuyasha, hit him one more time."

The power from the wind scar and dragon strike barely had time to settle before they were set upon him one more time. Seeing his moment of distraction, she ran into the fray, katana up, and spoke to him one last time. "You were right about one thing Osamu, I am a bitch."

Angling the blade, she lifted it to his face, catching his black eyes before angling it toward him, reflecting the image at the beholder.

It only took a second as he stared into his own eyes, saw his own death, and died of sheer fright.

Collapsing to the ground, she struggled to catch her own breath, having drained herself of her energy reserves.

It was over.

She nearly recoiled as she saw the look on the youkai's face, his mouth wide and eyes full of fear. No longer a danger she took a good look at them, wanting to see the eyes that dared to kill her son.

Her son!

"Satoru," she clambered to her feet and ran to him, falling next to his lifeless body. His skin was still warm. The tears streamed down her face as she brushed his hair away from his face. This was not the death she wished for her boy, not one filled with such pain.

Her mate stood before them, unexpressive golden eyes looking down at her son. She didn't need to see the emotion to know Sesshoumaru was torn up. "We do this once," he spoke to her, his voice hoarse. "After this, it cannot be done again. If he acts foolishly again, I cannot save him."

She nodded, knowing that despite the warning, he'd have done this anyway. Gently placing him on the ground, she moved to stand behind Sesshoumaru, leaning her head on his back, partly from exhaustion, and partly in quiet support. He was thinking back to Rin, she knew. Everything he had felt that day was beginning to resurface. She didn't say anything though, she didn't need to for him to know her thoughts on the matter.

It was her son, his heir. Tenseiga would do his will.

Closing her eyes, she lent him her strength and felt his muscles pull taut and flex as he swung the blade over Satoru's body. For the first time, she was afraid to open them, to see her son still lying dead on the ground much like she had seen Rin just before the battle with Naraku.

"Mama," he groaned as he rolled on the ground. She collapsed to her knees, relief flooding her senses, mind, heart and soul.

Tears of joy slipped down her cheeks, her hand was shaking as she reached out for her son. For the first time in nearly twenty years, everything was right in her world.

* * *

_One eye open, he kept a watch on her as she walked away from the group, irritated at their antics. Very slowly they were pushing her away, and not one of them realized it. Inuyasha had already lost her, acting like the pathetic whelp he was. It was only a matter of time before the others would follow. Sending a glare to the group, he took to the trees after her, not sure of what compelled him to search her out._

_There was something about her that dug under his skin, made him want to know more and learn more about her. Where she came from, where she was going, and why she did the things she did. And how she could do them so selflessly. Her answer would be simple, he knew, as they were always simple. A woman who hated complications. And he was a complication, a multitude of traits she would find undesirable and repulsive. For some reason, this disturbed him._

_He never wanted to be viewed as repulsive, not by her. _

_He was uncertain as to when this change occurred in him, or how it was caused, but it dawned on him suddenly that it wasn't wholly unwelcome. As it wasn't with the way he would catch her smiling at him at times, when she didn't realize he was watching. _

_Soft, with a sparkle in her eyes that was beginning to prove irresistible. It was a terrible affliction he had once promised himself he would never fall under. _

_And he wasn't. It was a fascination, and once he figured out the woman that would be that. _

_Stumbling upon a field of flowers, he watched her with his ward, laughing as if she didn't have a care in the world, as if the incident with her traveling pack never happened. Picking the flowers with care, she began to braid them in Rin's hair, stroking her scalp with her blunt fingernails no doubt in comfort and in affection. _

_She always handled his ward with affection, no matter how much of a handful she could be at times. It was these simple things that fascinated him, how she could take such in them._

_Such as skipping rocks, and sitting in spring or even under a tree when she wanted to be alone to reflect, or picking flowers. And the fierce determination that enshrouded her during their training sessions as she strived to better herself, make herself stronger. All of these traits typically belonging in a youkai were prominent in a human. _

_It confused him, twisting his gut the more he reflected upon it. She had faced death numerous times, her own, and those she loved, and yet she sat in the field laughing as the flower she had just placed in Rin's hair slipped out._

_It was as if the dangers had never touched her. _

_Growling at the picture, he swore they never would touch her. Not knowing why he thought along the these lines he vowed he would always be there to protect her in some way._

"_Sesshoumaru-sama." The exuberance of the child did much to clear his mind of the conundrum he faced, but it was the small smile of the miko that warmed him. _

_Why did that smile mean so much when it was directed at him and him alone?_

"_Rin," he inclined his head as he took his place against a nearby tree, resting his arm on his knee. "Miko." His eyes met hers for a brief moment before she turned away, a faint blush darkening her cheeks. Something primitive in him stirred._

_The giggles and laughter had continued although she didn't speak much. It was somewhat surprising considering her penchant for chatter, but it was as if she felt the sanctity of the moment, knew it was only enhanced by the quiet comfort of the afternoon._

_And watching her play with Rin it suddenly dawned on him as to why he was so fascinated, what he had truly wanted all along._

_Her._

_The two of them. _

_A family he could spend his afternoons with and enjoy, knowing it was the simple moments like this that made life, not the big grandstands. Eyes narrowed in determination, he took a moment to organize his thoughts. The hanyou had his turn and made a mess of it. It was as if everything that had taken place, all of the small moments between them had led up to this one point in time, this one single declaration of his. _

_And he knew she wanted to too, not impervious to the look in her eyes when she glanced his way. Idly he picked a flower, a small five petal white flower that was no different from the others, but in no way the same. The insignificant becoming the significant. "Kagome," he murmured her name under his breath for the first time. "Kagome," liking the way it sounded. _

_And under the tree he continued to watch what was his. She may not realize it yet, he knew, but one day she would be his._

_And one day, she would be truly happy._

END

* * *

sob It's done. Two stories within one spreading over a hundred years in the telling…lol and I did it in 13 chapters. I'm quite pleased with this.

I have several people I want to thank here so please bear with me.

Firstly, I need to thank Yabou who put up with me for my 10 days of insanity while writing this story. You were (and are) a wonderful source of inspiration and a fantastic sounding board. You put up with my inane questions, my obsessive moments and the moments I danced around in glee at the thought of killing people off. And of course the late nights as I figured things out.

Secondly, this story was nominated for Best Characterization – Kagome in the third quarter IYFG and I heartily thank Yabou for the nomination and Sesshysjadedsamuri for seconding this story. I am truly honoured.

I'm also going to take a moment as well to thank the following people for nominating the following for IYFG. I am flabbergasted that people enjoy my work well enough to nominate them for this.

Best Canon – Mirrored Pasts – Jenn and Sesshysjadedsamuri

Best One Shot – Le Vice Anglais – Wiccan and Sesshysjadedsamuri

Best Vignette – Pastimes – Yabou and Wiccan

Best Vignette – In Celestial Harmony: Rainbows – Flametwirler and Lachlanprimus

I cannot thank any of you enough for this and I am still honoured that you think so highly of my stories.

And lastly, but certainly not least…never least, everybody who has taken the time to read this story. Your comments have made me smile and laugh and cheered me on.

So this is it unless there's ever a one-shot spin-off…which is entirely possible. I loved every minute of writing this story.

Mirrored Pasts is on hold for a few weeks as I'm busy writing papers and the likes for classes. As soon as this clears up we'll be right back on track. But I am continually uploading new drabbles onto Interludes and I have a new drabble/one shot series out – Candidacy. It may be drabbles but each chapter is typically 3-4 drabbles and about the length of a normal story chapter.

Thank you :)

Priestess Skye

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1


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